ACT helps adults living with serious mental illness maintain independence and community
ACT’s goal is to help those living with serious mental illness to live as independently as possible — and to achieve the same aspirations most everyone seeks.
Accessible humor takes the stage at Laughfest
D.J. Demers, who is hearing impaired, brings his unique stand-up style to LaughFest on March 8 at the Special Olympics Michigan Unified Sports & Inclusion Center in Grand Rapids. His opening act will be local comedian Jon Cauchi, who is visually impaired.
More than half of people with disabilities in West Michigan struggle financially
The United Way ALICE initiative puts focus on the financial struggles faced by people with disabilities, while other efforts work to address those needs.
Autism rights advocate Temple Grandin hails those who think differently
Although Temple Grandin is a widely sought-after professor for animal science and veterinary colleges, she couldn’t get into veterinary school when she failed the math portion of the SAT. The educational system is screening out visual thinkers such as herself, Grandin says.
Kalamazoo’s new Dabney and Co. is a Black culture bar that welcomes all
Open since November, Dabney and Co., Kalamazoo's only current Black-owned bar, was created to be a safe space for that showcases the “elevated beauty of Black culture” through food, music, drinks, and art. "For me, it's really important, in every aspect of Dabney and Co., you feel exactly how you would when you come into a Black household. We treat you just like family,” says owner Daniel May.
Battle Creek Black women business owners achieving success
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.”
Voices of Youth: Battle Creek teen talks with peers about social media’s effect on body image
Numerous studies have demonstrated that social media use can have harmful impacts on teens by causing higher levels of anxiety, body dissatisfaction, and increasing rates of depression. Lila McCarthy, a 13-year-old Voices of Youth Battle Creek writer, examines and editorializes on an issue that she has witnessed first-hand among her peers.
Program brings friendship, needed resources to older adults living with HIV in Detroit and Lansing
Seventy-five Detroit- and Lansing-area residents have benefited from a pilot program called Food and Friendship Connections, which offers meals, transportation, and community for older adults living with HIV.
Cereal City Concert Band stages concert in honor of Black History Month
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.
Kalamazoo artist Jeanne Fields’ show dares viewers to be aware
Kalamazoo artist Jeanne Fields’ exhibit, “Dare to Be Aware: Our World Needs You,” is on display during February at the Epic Center’s Westin Gallery. While Field’s paintings present dichotomies between beauty and suffering, Fields says her show is primarily “about love.”
