Goodwill Industries does a lot more than run a resale storefront. Its Navigations Program has been helping people with physical and mental disabilities find and maintain self-supporting jobs since 1993. After 30 years, one of its original hires, John Shriver, is about to retire.
Cemeteries are historical treasure troves, and Oak Hill Cemetery in Battle Creek is home to the final resting place of Sojourner Truth, John Harvey Kellogg, C.W. Post, and many others. But the chapel is in serious disrepair. Funeral Director Sydney Morgan is spearheading a campaign to restore the historic chapel to its previous glory.
Battle Creek's Tiffany Blackman is beating the odds with her small downtown business, Bread & Basket, while supporting, encouraging, and mentoring other Women of Color with their businesses. Her business plans got an unexpected gift during the pandemic, she says. “When you have the responsibility of raising and supporting a family you don’t have time to dream. The pandemic gave me the time to dream.”
A 'best kept Battle Creek (musical) secret,' Battle Creek's Cereal City Concert Band honors Black History Month with the world premier of a piece by Flint native Gary Powell Nash featuring local soprano soloist Carmen Bell and several selections by African American composers at their "Life Every Voice and Sing" February concert.
Raising Blacknose Sheep in Calhoun County isn’t about the meat or the wool. “We got reading about them more and more and just fell in love with them,” says Mike Zebolsky of raising the rare Valais sheep with his wife Tammy Zebolsky. “They’re just so docile and friendly and with us not being truly farmers, they’re the perfect animal for us.”
Many of us take for granted our ability to shower or bathe, but for the unhoused, getting clean can involve many variables and few options. SHARE Center in Battle Creek is seeking to change that by raising funds to install public showers for those who are unhoused, housing insecure, or living somewhere with no running water.
The second cohort of Battle Creek Voices of Youth launches today and we’re excited to publish these new stories that cover such issues as vacant buildings and their impact on a community, particularly a neighboring school; coming out safely to family and friends; and social media’s impact on body image. We will be publishing these stories throughout February. Our new Battle Creek Voices of Youth program begins in March. See the story for more details.
Jamie Stuck, Tribal Chairperson of the Nottowaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, will focus on improving Native American health in his new role as a member of a U.S. Health and Human Services Tribal Advisory Committee. Stuck plans to encourage practices that support a return to a pre-colonized diet and to promote trauma-informed and culturally-appropriate healthcare to help combat elevated disease rates in the Native American community that have direct ties to historical atrocities.
On the outside, it may look like the former church it once was, but on the inside, vibrant artwork lines the walls and generations of local artists have practiced art through the center’s many classes. As the Art Center of Battle Creek celebrates its 75th Anniversary, Executive Director Linda Holderbaum reflects on its past, present, and future, and the center’s relevance to the community.
While the W.K. Kellogg Foundation is known for redevelopment projects such as The Milton and McCamly Place, there’s more to the foundation’s local support than meets the eye. WKKF partners on a variety of smaller-scale initiatives, including with City of Battle Creek, Battle Creek Unlimited, Northern Initiatives, Community Inclusive Recreation, and Sprout. Jamie Schriner, WKKF Program Officer, says these investments are vital because Battle Creek “is our hometown.”
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