Stories

Feature Story Meghan Distel, a Tony Awards voting member, ponders the legacy of Broadway Grand Rapids and the impact theatre has had on the region.

Broadway Grand Rapids: Accessibility, innovation raise the curtain for all

Tommy Allen, PublisherTuesday, January 21, 2025
Broadway Grand Rapids is changing lives through creative accessibility programs and collaborations within the community. With tools like the GalaPro app and tactile Touch Tours, the theater makes sure that everyone can enjoy the enchantment of live shows. Under the leadership of Meghan Distel, it establishes a fresh benchmark for inclusivity, demonstrating here in West Michigan that theater is meant for everyone.  
Feature Story Skot Welch, co-founder of the New Community Transformation Fund (NCTF).

How a new partnership is focused on driving generational wealth in West Michigan

Shandra MartinezFriday, January 17, 2025
A venture fund aims to address racial wealth gaps by investing in entrepreneurs of color, fostering generational wealth, creating jobs, and reshaping West Michigan's economic and social landscape.
Feature Story The Disability Network Southwest Michigan team poses for a holiday photo.

DNSWM campaign highlights staff’s lived experiences and community impact

Shandra MartinezWednesday, January 15, 2025
Disability Network Southwest Michigan's ‘We Are Who We Serve’ campaign highlights staff’s experiences and commitment to empowering persons with disabilities.
Feature Story UM Health-West earns Employer of the Year for fostering growth, inclusion, and innovative workforce development programs in healthcare.

Emphasis on workplace development earns UM Health-West title of Employer of the Year

Shandra MartinezWednesday, January 15, 2025
UM Health-West earns Employer of the Year for fostering growth, inclusion, and innovative workforce development programs in healthcare.
Feature Story SpringGR celebrates 10 years of empowering diverse entrepreneurs with training, resources, and community support, fostering more than 800 businesses.

SpringGR celebrates 10 years of empowering entrepreneurs

Shandra MartinezWednesday, January 15, 2025
SpringGR celebrates 10 years of empowering diverse entrepreneurs with training, resources, and community support, fostering more than 800 businesses.
Feature Story Newly-elected Grand Rapids Mayor David LaGrand.

Mayor David LaGrand brings personal passion to Grand Rapids’ transportation future

Shandra MartinezWednesday, January 15, 2025
Newly-elected Grand Rapids Mayor David LaGrand envisions a safer, more accessible Grand Rapids, driven by his experiences as a walker, cyclist, and father.  
Feature Story “A Holiday I Do” is a Michigan-made holiday movie showcasing familiar destinations and small businesses in Grand Rapids, Saugatuck, and Metro Detroit.

Michigan-made holiday movie highlights LGBTQ+ friendly communities, universal message of love

Sarah SpohnFriday, January 10, 2025
“A Holiday I Do” is a Michigan-made holiday movie showcasing familiar destinations and small businesses in Grand Rapids, Saugatuck, and Metro Detroit. The movie puts a unique, inclusive LGBTQ+ spin on the traditional Hallmark-style holiday love story.
Feature Story K. Jones and The Benzie Playboys are among the performers this year at Winter Wheat, taking place at The Intersection in Grand Rapids, Saturday, Jan. 11

Grand Rapids’ Winter Wheat Festival celebrates Michigan's musical heritage

Shandra MartinezWednesday, January 8, 2025
The Winter Wheat Festival, in Grand Rapids on Jan. 11, brings Michigan’s rich music traditions to life with live performances, dancing, and community connection.  
Feature Story Sarah Lewakowski is the executive director of Mosaic Counseling.

Grant bolsters mental health services for youth in Kent and Ottawa counties

Shandra MartinezMonday, January 6, 2025
Mosaic Counseling expands youth mental health services into Kent County with $250,000 GHACF grant, part of $745,000 in community impact awards from GHACF.
Feature Story In 2023, Rapid Growth launched Voices of Youth, giving young writers a platform to share stories close to home.

Looking forward: three times that our publisher took us there

Rapid GrowthTuesday, December 31, 2024
Let’s embrace a more constructive mindset focused on showing up each day, staying open to change, and making thoughtful adjustments along the way as illustrated in the work of our Publisher Tommy Allen at Rapid Growth Media who is embarking on his 19th year with one of the state's largest solutions journalism magazine.
Feature Story small-pat

Books to bonds: Adults discover new connections at Kent District Library

Shandra MartinezTuesday, December 31, 2024
Kent District Library enriches lives through community programs, resources, and stories, fostering a lifelong love for reading and learning.
Feature Story Meresa Salisbury attends the Baldwin Senior Expo earlier this year.

Disability Network West Michigan’s new Lake County office brings support to rural residents

Shandra MartinezFriday, December 27, 2024
Disability Network West Michigan’s Lake County office empowers individuals with disabilities, providing essential resources and personalized support while fostering independence.
Feature Story Rapid Growth Publisher Tommy Allen reflects on the stories that shaped 2024.

Looking at 2024, we are witnessing in Grand Rapids an expansive new narrative emerging.

Tommy AllenTuesday, December 24, 2024
These ten stories address challenges that nearly every mid-sized city faces, yet they showcase how Grand Rapids is rewriting the narrative with real progress and hope, offering a glimpse into the positive change happening right here.  
Feature Story Mel Trotter Ministries' mobile shower unit provided 2,389 showers in 2023.

Nonprofits comb the streets of Grand Rapids to provide the unhoused needed services

PAUL R. KOPENKOSKEYMonday, December 23, 2024
Nonprofits Mel Trotter Ministries and the Grand Rapids’ Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) comb the streets of downtown Grand Rapids in the wee hours of the morning searching for homeless people who’ve likely slept outside the night before.
Feature Story LaShawnda Bates, wearing a yellow dress, stands in front of a table with health brochures on it.

Bronson Cancer Care Equity Project breaks down barriers to health care

Shandra MartinezMonday, December 23, 2024
Bronson’s Cancer Care Equity project addresses health disparities through community partnerships, improving accessibility, communication, and inclusivity in cancer care.
Feature Story Robert Sheehan

Michigan’s community mental health agencies will do even more good work in 2025

Estelle SlootmakerFriday, December 20, 2024
Federal dollars, state initiatives, community partnerships, and a normalization of seeking and receiving behavioral health care have positioned Michigan’s community mental health agencies to do even more good work in 2025.
Feature Story "We live here, we work here and we care about you and your family."

A New Vision for Public Health in Michigan

Brianna NargisoFriday, December 20, 2024
Michigan has stepped forward with a comprehensive Public Health Call to Action, a set of recommendations crafted by the Michigan Public Health Advisory Council (MPHAC) to guide the state’s journey toward a more equitable and resilient health system. 
Feature Story Nathan Dlouhy appreciates how DAKC's Interview Day helps him to be his best self.

DAKC event empowers young adults with disabilities through mock interviews and job connections

Tommy AllenWednesday, December 18, 2024
A Disability Advocates Kent County event uses mock interviews to build confidence among young adults with disabilities and connect them to job opportunities.
Feature Story Mayor Bliss reflects on nine years as mayor and two decades of service to Grand Rapids.

A look back at Mayor Rosalynn Bliss's tenure: leadership, legacy, and vision

Tommy AllenWednesday, December 18, 2024
As she leaves office, Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss reflects on her legacy and her accomplishments.
Feature Story More than 100 Bank of America employees volunteering at six local nonprofits, from Kids Food Basket to the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum.

Bank of America’s Grand Rapids Day of Giving showcases $1.2M community investment

Shandra MartinezWednesday, December 11, 2024
Bank of America invests $1.215 million across West Michigan, fostering collaboration, empowering nonprofits, and building future leaders.
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