New rules requiring lead dust testing would “keep kiddos safe”
Proposed City of Grand Rapids requirements for lead dust testing would reduce childhood lead poisoning.
Garfield Park-Alger Heights-Grandville Ave
Diversity is the celebrated strength of the Garfield Park-Alger Heights-Grandville Avenue area. With African Americans, whites, and numerous Latino groups – Mexican Americans, Cubans, El Salvadorans, Dominicans, and Guatemalans – the area is a highly inclusive environment and business district. And the combination of cultures is represented with pride in public art, local cuisine, and neighborhood businesses.Located on the city's southwest side, the Garfield Park district is roughly bounded by Cottage Grove Street to the north, 28th Street to the south, Division and Century Streets to the west, and Eastern Avenue to the east. Alger Heights is generally defined by Eastern Avenue on the west, Kalamazoo on the east, Burton on the north, and 28th Street on the south. And the Grandville district is generally defined by Wealthy Street on the north, Burton Street to the south, Century Street on the east, and Clyde Park and Godfrey to the west.
Community land trust to promote affordable home ownership and retention
Dwelling Place Community Land Trust is building new, affordable single-family homes in a five-acre vacant lot in the Garfield Park neighborhood.
Removing barriers so people can live their best lives
Improving old technologies with new is, in many ways, the heart of improving access for humans. It is also a great motivator for those with the talents to do so. Here are the people behind those efforts and why this work is so important to them and within the region.
GRow1000 returns for its third year to help shape careers of next generation
GRow1000 returns to employ young adults ages 15 to 24 in professional career opportunities and mentorship. One partner organization, Spectrum Health, explains how participants can benefit from this program.
Decline in childhood immunizations leads to risk of resurgence
While the pandemic emphasized the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine, it also highlighted a need for other vaccinations to be discussed. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reports significant drops in childhood immunization rates across both county and state levels.
Residents get more power in allocating ARPA dollars with participatory budgeting model
City of Grand Rapids is using a new model, the Participatory Budgeting Project (PBP), that will give residents more say in how its $2 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds will be spent in each of the city's three wards.
“Shade is an equity issue”: How JEDI guides Friends of Grand Rapids Parks
Non-profit organization, Friends of Grand Rapids Parks plans its work to address JEDI, justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, in light of historical inequities that guided development of parks as public spaces in the past.
Vaccination effort spurs massive collaboration between Kent County and local health care providers
The Kent County Health Department and local health care providers are collaborating on what may be the biggest inter-organizational vaccination effort in Michigan’s history.
Plaster Creek Family Park receives mParks award: GRPS students contributed to design
Park Design Award recognizes the Plaster Creek Family Park’s sustainability features and a design created in collaboration with GRPS students. Partnerships with GRPS, Our Community’s Children, the Wege Foundation, and the Children and Nature Network along with parks millage dollars made the park improvements possible — and it will serve as the site for the Mayor’s Greening Initiative event May 1.
Community discussions encourage new, mutually-beneficial solutions for unhoused population
Recently, bus stations for routes like the Silver Line have seen an increase in traffic from unhoused individuals, resulting in safety concerns and prompting a community-wide discussion to seek solutions.
