The multiplex in Sterling Heights is no stranger to excitement; it sustains it. With 30 screens, as well as being site to one of the few IMAX locations in the state, the AMC Forum 30 is well-versed in how to show its guests a good time. They’ve been doing it since their grand opening at the tail end of the 20th century, drawing guests from not only Sterling Heights and its neighbors but from all over the metro Detroit region – and often beyond.

For all of the big budget Hollywood movies and international sensations that beam across the screens here, the multiplex will soon help shine the spotlight back on the community to which it belongs. On Thursday, May 15, the Sterling Heights AMC Forum 30 will host the 13th annual Macomb Business Awards. Dozens of Macomb County businesses and nonprofits have been nominated across six categories for the awards program, which includes breakfast, networking opportunities, and the awards ceremony. More than 400 business and community leaders from throughout the county are expected to attend, including high-profile guests like County Executive Mark Hackel.

In 2024, the program’s organizers at Macomb County Planning and Economic Development (MCPED) introduced a new category: Nonprofit of the Year. Including the county’s nonprofits puts a unique spin on the tried-and-true program of a regional business awards ceremony, and it was, as MCPED director Vicky Rowinski said when nominations opened in March, an instant hit.

“We launched the nonprofit category and the public vote in 2024 as a way to recognize all of the deserving organizations that contribute to the wellbeing of our community, and it grew into an incredible crowdsourcing effort, with hundreds of votes cast and lots of engagement around the topic.”

Several nonprofits that are based in or serve Sterling Heights have been nominated in the category, including the Inclusively Fit Foundation, Chaldean Community Foundation, and more. It’s a testament to the community development work happening in a city that’s more renowned for its manufacturing base and small business community than it is for its nonprofits. But being included in high-profile award ceremonies like the Macomb Business Awards is helping to change that, and a recent wave of programs and announcements that serve to bolster community development organizations here will help even more – and in more ways than one. And it comes at a good time, as national politics and ensuing economic effects can shake loose those nonprofits with even the most sturdy of foundations.

A tangible difference

Christian Financial Credit Union made a big splash in the news earlier this March when it announced plans to merge with Livonia’s Catholic Vantage Financial; the resulting $1.02 billion credit union will remain under the CFCU brand and headquartered in Sterling Heights. Perhaps somewhat lost in the hubbub was that just a few days earlier CFCU’s Christian Financial Credit Union Outreach & Impact Foundation announced more than $26,000 in grants awarded to area nonprofits as part of its latest round of grants for local organizations at work in the region.
File photo: Joe Powers Insitu PhotographyChristian Financial Credit Union headquarters in Sterling Heights.
“We are honored to support these impactful organizations and their tireless work in our community,” said Christine Quitter, director of business development and community outreach at Christian Financial. “These grants are a part of our ongoing commitment to making an impact and a tangible difference in the lives of individuals and families across metro Detroit.”

One such recipient was the Clinton River Watershed Council, which received a $3,063 grant to support its Keeping-It-Clean program. The grant funds cleaning supplies for a program that relies on volunteers to help clean and maintain the Clinton River watershed. Weekly clean-ups are complemented by event-based clean-ups for a river and watershed that helps shape the Sterling Heights experience, with miles of parks and recreation opportunities abundant throughout the city’s share of the Clinton River and its watershed. It’s a genuine attraction for the city, and one that requires continual care and maintenance.

Still, despite the river and watershed’s importance, a seemingly small grant of $3,063 can go a long way in caring for such an important piece to the city and region’s well-being. Jennifer Hill, executive director of the Clinton River Watershed Council, says the grant will “help us continue our mission to protect, enhance and celebrate the Clinton River, its watershed, and Lake St. Clair. Together we are making a meaningful impact toward a healthier environment for current and future generations.”

More than a collaboration

As the local business community and nonprofit sector bolster their relationships to improve quality of life factors throughout Sterling Heights, one small business here is forging a partnership that is unique to itself yet shared in spirit. Deer Camp Coffee Roasting Company & Outfitters has partnered with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to help fight hunger throughout the state. Deer Camp has offered proceeds from special products to the DNR’s Hunters Feeding Michigan program, which facilitates venison donations to help feed those in need.
Michigan DNRThe Food Bank Council of Michigan’s seven Feeding America food banks across the state serve over 2,800 hunger relief agencies, including church pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, school pantries and other community action organizations. Pictured here is a venison meal served at Grace Centers of Hope in Pontiac.
The DNR and the Food Bank Council of Michigan are working together on the program, which offers deer hunters the ability to donate deer to participating processors. From there, the venison will be distributed as donations to those who need it. Purchase a bag of Deer Camp’s Coffee Donor Doe medium roast blend or Traditions dark roast blend – the latter comes with a DNR deer patch – and proceeds will be used to support processing and distributing donated venison.

“At Deer Camp, we believe in great coffee, strong traditions, connecting and giving back to the community,” says director Julie Majewski. "This partnership with the DNR is more than just a collaboration – it’s a way for us to support hunters, conservation efforts and those in need. Every purchase makes a difference, and together, we can create lasting change, one cup at a time.”