Al Jones, Author at Second Wave

Kalamazoo’s Mothers of Hope celebrates 25 years as a welcoming place for those with drug addictions

By Al Jones

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April 20, 2023

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.

A pilot program for Kalamazoo renters expands as people struggle to make ends meet

By Al Jones

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General

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April 19, 2023

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.

Oshtemo Township is working on a plan to build housing for the future

By Al Jones

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General

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April 13, 2023

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

Kalamazoo’s historic Stuart Neighborhood has a new plan for progress and preservation

By Al Jones

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April 6, 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.

Kzoo News in Brief: People and paintbrushes

By Al Jones

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March 23, 2023

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!

Kalamazoo Earth Day 2023 Festival on the horizon

By Al Jones

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March 16, 2023

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.

The Kzoo POD Community continues to search for a place the unhoused can call home

By Al Jones

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March 9, 2023

Progress is being made in finding a home for the POD community for the unhoused. Here's the latest.

Kalamazoo’s Jamauri Bogan, former WMU running back, now running a business and scoring with Zone 32

By Al Jones

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March 2, 2023

Real estate developer Jamauri Bogan, 26, is creating an affordable housing and commercial project on the Northside that is "outward-focused and centered around serving people." Zone 32 takes its name from the number Bogan wore in football. He says the sport taught him the power of “we” rather than “me.”

Kalamazoo chocolate shop expands its sweet spot to help those rebuilding their lives

By Al Jones

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February 9, 2023

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Al Jones visits Confections with Convictions to catch up with owner Dale Anderson. The local sweet shop launched in 2010 with a mission to employ youth with criminal convictions. Thirteen years later, Anderson, 70, is preparing to hand over the reins to an employee, Jennifer Fakkety, who wants to expand the shop’s employment to include those of any age who are experiencing substance use disorder and are in recovery or 12-step programs.

Kalamazoo organization recognizes Judge Tiffany Ankley and others as Trailblazers of HOPE

By Al Jones

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General

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February 8, 2023

“You have to listen to them. You have to see them. You have to hear them. It’s not a one size-fits-all system,” says Judge Tiffany Ankley, who, along with other individuals and one organization, was recently honored as a Trailblazer of HOPE, a tribute bestowed on those whose work is instrumental in preserving Drug Treatment Court and recovery-oriented services.

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