The United Way ALICE initiative puts focus on the financial struggles faced by people with disabilities, while other efforts work to address those needs. (Canva)

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.

Benjamin's Hope founders Krista Mason (right) and Dave Mason pose with animal scientist and autism advocate Temple Grandin.
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.

Aisha Sanders, owner and creator of Wicksup Candle Co. in Oak Park, explains the candle making process to a Food and Friendship Connections group.
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.”

Estas ventajas y beneficios son fundamentales para mantener saludables a los cuidadores remunerados

Las enfermeras encuestadas en 2021 dijeron que la razón más común por la que planeaban dejar su trabajo era que el trabajo había afectado negativamente su salud y bienestar. La segunda razón más común fue la falta de personal. He aquí por qué es importante brindarles atención y lo que algunos están haciendo para asegurarse de que la reciban.

Caregiving and mental health: ‘Overload in every sense of the word’

The pressure of being a caregiver become more common. AARP estimates the number of unpaid caregivers – roughly one of every five adults – has grown nearly 25% during the last half-decade, to about 50 million people.

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