Stories

Feature Story Small-Healthcare

Industry trends push many new jobs onto the annual HotJobs! List

If you want to learn about the career opportunities across West Michigan, the 2024 HotJobs! List is a good place to start.  

Feature Story The Barn for Equine Learning gives youth and adults the opportunity to discover new experiences, challenge themselves, and grow through the healing power of horses in a therapeutic setting.

How United Way is using microgrants to address social challenges

Over the past five years, Heart of West Michigan United Way's Emerging Leaders United group has distributed grants to eight nonprofits, giving more than $30,000.  

Longform Small-Amanda

How at-home vaccinations protect the lives of the state’s most vulnerable

The Michigan Department of Health & Human Services has collaborated with Disability Rights of Michigan to support vaccinations for homebound residents.

Longform Dr. Theresa Hastert (right) helped develop the Michigan Community Outreach to Address Financial Toxicity (MI-COST). Ali Fakih (left) is a research assistant with MI-COST, and Cornelius Wilson (center) sits on its Community Advisory Board.

Here's how Michigan organizations are working to reduce cancer treatment's crushing financial burden

In Michigan, several efforts are underway to help cancer patients prepare for, manage, and alleviate the financial struggles associated with treatment.

Feature Story Hillery Ross, How YOU Birth Doulas Services' administrative coordinator, and Allison Keessen, treasurer for How YOU Birth Doula Services.

Initiative rapidly expands doula ranks in Muskegon County, with major implications for birth equity

Muskegon-based How YOU Birth Doula Services is working to improve outcomes for parents and babies by leveraging Michigan's recently added Medicaid coverage for doula services. 

Longform Small-Kristen

How data collection is playing a key role in advancing health equity

A new push to gather health care data about people with disabilities is spotlighting a disparity in health care equity that is often overlooked by the medical community. 

Longform Josh Williams

Addressing the Gap: The need for increased mental health support for LGBTQ Michiganders

With all the positive work being done, the fact remains that 51% of LGBTQ Youth in Michigan are afraid to talk about their mental health with someone else. 

Longform Robin Beasley is the director of Garden of Dreams Preschool inside First Congregational Church.

Tri-Share makes quality child care more affordable for working parents

MI Tri-Share is a first-of-its-kind cost-sharing funding model. The state, the employee, and their employer each chip in for one-third of the price of child care.

Longform Teacher helping child at NEST Child Care and Parent Institute in Detroit

خارطة طريق "التعليم ما قبل الابتدائي للجميع" تتخذ منهجًا شاملًا لإطلاق برنامج "التعليم ما قبل الاب

في يناير 2023، أعلنت الحاكمة غريتشن ويتمر عن خطتها "التعليم ما قبل الابتدائي للجميع"، والتي ستوفر الوصول إلى التعليم ما قبل الابتدائي المجاني لجميع الأطفال البالغين من العمر أربع سنوات في ميشيغان بحلول عام 2027. في فبراير 2024، أصدرت دائرة التعليم مدى الحياة، التقدم، والإمكانيات في ميشيغان (MiLEAP) خطة الطريق مع توصيات حول كيف يمكن للولاية تحقيق هذا الهدف. شاركت مجموعة السياسات العادلة، وهي منظمة استشارية تعليمية في واشنطن العاصمة تركز على سياسات الرعاية والتعليم المبكرة، في تأليف خارطة الطريق.

Longform Kimberly Singh (right), Michigan Oral Health Coalition board member and chief community and governmental affairs officer for My Community Dental Centers, chats with Dental Assistant Kortney Jones.

Oral health care is inaccessible to many Michiganders. This coalition is working to change that.

The Michigan Oral Health Coalition brings together a multitude of Michigan oral and general health partners to collaborate on improving oral health for all Michiganders, especially those who have barriers to access. 

Feature Story Small-MiCareer-Quest

MiCareerQuest connects 8,000 students with hands-on exploration into future career opportunities

Over 8,000 middle and high school students across West Michigan had the opportunity to experience more than 300 high-demand careers first-hand at this year's MiCareerQuest.

Longform Teacher helping child at NEST Child Care and Parent Institute in Detroit

PreK For All Roadmap takes a holistic approach to rolling out PreK For All

The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) has released the PreK for All Roadmap plan with recommendations on how the state can achieve universal pre-K for all 4-year-olds in Michigan.

Feature Story Steve Faber, the communications and marketing manager at the Kent County Department of Public Works

Published Together: The Perplexities of Plastic Recycling

Publisher Tommy Allen often receives inquiries about plastic recycling. In response, Steve Faber, the communications and marketing manager at the Kent County Department of Public Works, addresses misconceptions and promotes sustainable waste management practices in West Michigan with our latest Published Together story.

Feature Story Small-Jae-Gerhart

Corewell Health among healthcare systems leveraging local farms for healthy food options

Medical institutions around Michigan are using their local resources to bring real food to their staff and patients.

Longform Teacher helping child at NEST Child Care and Parent Institute in Detroit

La Hoja de Ruta de PreK Para Todos adopta un enfoque holístico para el despliegue de PreK Para Todos

En enero de 2023, la gobernadora Gretchen Whitmer anunció su plan PreK para Todos, que proporcionaría acceso a la educación preescolar gratuita a todos los niños de cuatro años de Michigan para 2027. En febrero de 2024, el Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) publicó el plan de la Hoja de Ruta con recomendaciones

Longform Kristin Graham, principal of Macatawa Bay Middle School, confers with a student.

Successful suicide prevention protocol expands from Corewell hospitals to Western Michigan schools

The Blue Envelope program trains all school employees how to respond to a student expressing thoughts of suicide, and assigns interventions based on the student's risk level.

Development News Small-Belknap-Exterior

New dental center increases access to urgent dental care

This month, Cherry Health opened its newest dental center in Grand Rapids’ Belknap neighborhood. However, the Belknap Commons Dental Center is different from the other Cherry Health centers, because it treats unplanned, urgent dental needs. 

Feature Story small-kristie-desk

The Rapid worker honored for her ‘gold standard of customer service’

As a customer experience specialist for The Rapid, Kristie Azzoli has built a reputation for ‘going above and beyond’ to help passengers. 

Feature Story laptopimage

Mapping a better future for broadband in Michigan

State and nonprofit officials are encouraging local governments and residents to review a map of internet coverage in Michigan. The goal is to prioritize underserved areas and use federal dollars to expand and improve internet infrastructure. 

Feature Story The G-M Wood Products facility in Newaygo.

Wood products manufacturer expands in Newaygo

“We are bringing a new technology on site that we previously sourced from out of state and overseas. We firmly believe that the value of automated USA manufacturing will continue to increase over the coming years,” says Kevin Karrip, who is vice president of G-M Wood Products in Newaygo.