There are complicated politics and attitudes aimed at efforts to provide affordable housing. In a recent public discussion, Kalamazoo County Housing Director Mary Balkema detailed the projects underway and outlined the barriers to getting housing up as fast as some community members would like, including the current climate of uncertainty regarding funding.
To honor Transgender Day of Visibility, OutFront Kalamazoo hosted a Trans Gallery for the Art Hop in March. Social Practice Artist Maya James spoke with several artists whose work has many intersections — from cover crops to animation.
"This is a judgment-free opportunity to receive fresh food. They don’t need to be a member of our church, or any church. They don’t need to meet any income requirements or qualifications. They simply need to want food.”
The Cinderella Project, sponsored by Memories Bridal and Evening Wear, offers high school students the chance to feel like a princess, replete with a fairy godmother to assist in their choice of a gown. This year's prom dress giveaway takes place March 28.
Several national housing-related organizations have applauded Kalamazoo’s preapproved housing program. The National Association of Home Builders highlighted the city’s approach to filling lots in a report about preapproved housing. Here's a look at how the program is going.
The Autism Alliance of Michigan (AAoM) Michigan Shines for Autism Gala, its largest fundraiser, will rock Detroit’s Motor City Casino Hotel on April 25, 2025 with “an electrifying evening blending a black-tie event with a rebellious twist.”
For the past 80 years the Mitchell family has been growing blueberries on land that has been passed down through the generations. At one time in their part of Van Buren County, that wasn’t unusual. Today it is. Read on to find out why.
“We’re more powerful as a county and can have more of an impact by having all these talented, smart, dedicated people collaborating on these issues,” John Carmichael says.
After retiring from social work, Phyllis Neal sought a meaningful way to give back. An AARP program led her to Disability Network West Michigan, where she found a renewed sense of purpose and full-time employment.
Public health and infrastructure go hand in hand, as organizations across Michigan work to address the built environment's critical role in shaping health outcomes.
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