Five lives have been lost to gun violence in Kalamazoo just this year. On Monday, Moms Demand Action and supporters packed Bronson Park wearing orange to honor those who have been impacted. For June, which is Gun Violence Prevention Month, Urban Alliance is planning three Life Camps to help youth avoid gun violence, learn compassion, and understand "Hands are Meant to Heal, Not Kill."
Since November, two young men have died in separate incidents that involved exchanges of gunfire at the Campus Pointe Mall. Public safety are receiving increasing calls to manage unruly crowds and nuisance partying there. Local leaders, police, and business owners gathered May 8 to address the issues and brainstorm solutions to increase safety.
With a desire for transparency, accountability, and trust-building – and the data to demonstrate it – the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety has launched a public survey of its police services. And KDPS' popular Kalamazoo Regional Citizens' Academy is now running twice a year giving residents a chance to walk in the shoes of a police officer. “Honestly, we’re looking for people that aren’t all pro-police," says KDPS Chief David Boysen. "We want people that are a little skeptical about the policing, that are like, ‘we’re not sure about you guys.'”
After seven people died in Kalamazoo from suspected fentanyl overdoses last week, people are scared, says Gwen Lanier, co-founder of Mothers of Hope. "We’re probably going to get some people who haven’t been here in a long time.” And providing hope in crisis is part of the reason Mothers of Hope has succeeded and grown in its mission to offer fellowship, non-judgemental support, and respite for people with drug addictions for 25 years.
One-time grants through the RentAble program, funded by the City of Kalamazoo and overseen by the Kalamazoo County Continuum of Care, are now available to help individuals and families offset rent increases, housing application fees, and pay security deposits. Grants can also be used to help catch up on past-due rent, past-due utility bills, and other related expenses. Read on to find out how it works.
Growth in both housing prices and population in Kalamazoo's Oshtemo Township has put the township board on alert. The area's fastest-growing community is working to formulate a housing action plan. After surveying residents, the township drafted a plan which will be presented at the township meeting Thursday, April 13, 2023
As the City of Kalamazoo begins its historic conversion of downtown streets from one-way to two-way, the Stuart Historic Neighborhood has submitted its neighborhood plan to work closely with the city and for the neighborhood's own placemaking and wellbeing. As part of Imagine Kalamazoo 2025, Stuart is the eighth of the City's 22 neighborhoods to submit its plan, which will be reviewed by the Kalamazoo Planning Commission on May 4.
On the Ground Project Editor Al Jones shares what's moving and shaking in Kalamazoo: After a nine-month search, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation announced its new president and chief executive officer -- and it's a name many will recognize as a person who has had positive, long-reaching impacts on our community. And a vital community center on the Northside is getting a makeover, thanks to sponsors and a nonprofit partner whose middle name is 'for' -- and that's your only clue!
What better way to celebrate spring than planting flowers and trees with your neighbors? The first truly post-pandemic Kalamazoo Earth Day may be the biggest yet. In a move to bring together the environmental and beautification efforts of three Kalamazoo neighborhood (Vine, Edison, and Oakwood), the Kalamazoo Earth Day Festival takes place April 22, 2023.
Progress is being made in finding a home for the POD community for the unhoused. Here's the latest.
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