News & Events

In Fremont Middle School’s life skills class, seventh graders learn about budgeting, basic sewing, and etiquette for weddings and funerals. “But cooking is the favorite,” said teacher Heidi Bonnema. “They take pride in what they make. I have a lot of photos of kids holding their perfect pancakes.”

One of Heidi’s goals is to help students become a little less dependent on adults. In class, they cook in small groups, with everyone assigned a role. They celebrate successes and failures, because everything is an opportunity to learn and problem-solve.

“Kids who struggle with traditional seatwork absolutely thrive in here,” said Heidi. “It’s hands-on and they work as a team. It’s fun to watch kids come to life and enjoy themselves at school.”

While donations help the school navigate rising food costs, the classroom itself needed a major refresh. “I had parents and grandparents of students say they remembered this room looking exactly the same when they attended school here,” said Heidi.

Hard work and collaborations—including a grant from the Community Foundation—gave the class a boost to start the 2024-2025 school year. Students were welcomed into a renovated space with bright, modern kitchens.

“The kids take a lot of ownership; they make sure the room is kept clean,” said Heidi. “This is my eleventh year at Fremont, and it has really put energy into my teaching to have this new space.”

During the era of Jim Crow segregation, Woodland Park was a haven for Black vacationers and travelers. In the summer, every cottage, resort rental, and room at the Kelsonia Inn and other hotels was booked.

As new opportunities opened for Black travelers in the mid-1960s, Woodland Park and nearby Idlewild saw a steady decline in traffic. Landmarks like the Royal Breeze Hotel exist now only in memory. However, a local group is dedicated to reviving and sharing those memories.

“We were inspired by a desire to preserve the work done by the founders of this historically Black resort community,” wrote members of the community group. “We feared our history would be lost.”

The committee works with partners like The Right Place and MSU Extension, and in 2024, the Community Foundation awarded a grant for historic signage.

“We felt many driving nearby wouldn’t even know they were in Woodland Park or why it was so special,” said Julie Burrell of The Right Place. “We wanted to change that in a visible way, and a collection of interpretive signs was the answer.” It’s a big step in a plan to preserve and celebrate the significance of this treasured area.

“We look forward to visitors learning more about Woodland Park,” wrote members of the committee. “Woodland Park is not only a local treasure, it is a national treasure.”

Pictured: Patricia Plaut-Payne, Venola Walton-Stanciel, Harvey Sanders, Debbie Jones, and Julie Burrell. The committee also includes Ziyadah Shakir, Carol Vandyke, Stephen Jones Jr., Leslie Woods, and David Woods.

Hope 101 was created to help people achieve stable housing. It’s still the heart of their mission. Unfortunately, food insecurity often goes hand-in-hand with housing insecurity.

“A lot of our participants use food pantries,” said Julie Vitale, executive director. “But it can be hard to get protein there, or the protein that is offered may be disconnected from the other items they receive.”

As Hope 101 thought about ways to help, they realized that many churches have commercial kitchens that often go unused during the week. This inspired the creation of The Cookery, which was supported by a Community Foundation grant in 2024.

Team members—often Hope 101 housing participants—prepare hearty entrees and soups in licensed church kitchens. Frozen meals are available on a “pay what you can” basis and stocked at partner sites. The program also provides job experience and income for those on the cooking team. A newly-renovated building in downtown White Cloud will expand their reach and allow for serving hot meals.

“Homelessness and hunger don’t just happen to someone else. It could be you, it could be your child,” said Julie. “One of the most rewarding moments was when a participant said, ‘Thank you for seeing me when I couldn’t see myself.’ These are people who work hard and have dreams, but life has been unkind. They need someone to see them.”

Bellwether Harbor Animal Shelter created the Seniors for Seniors Foster Cat Program as a way to address two problems: too many older cats lingered in shelters waiting for homes, and many older adults were missing out on the companionship of a pet because of concerns that kept them from adopting.

Through this innovative program, older adults are matched with a cat to foster. Costs like food, veterinary care, and other necessities are covered. Bellwether staffers Linda Vaughn and Joy Goodall visit once a month for checkups and are on-call for concerns between visits. Cat parents also know that if they can’t care for their pet—during a hospital stay, for example—their cat will be provided for and kept safe at Bellwether.

“The program has really taken off,” said Linda. “It’s rewarding to see cats in homes and flourishing.”

Seniors for Seniors—which is supported by grants from the Bridging Generations Fund—also makes an impact on human participants. “Having a cat brings our older adults so much joy and gives them a sense of purpose,” said Joy. “Some tell us they have a reason to get out of bed every morning now.”

“We love to see how well the seniors and cats are doing together,” added Linda. “It makes us really happy to know we are making a difference in their lives.”

On a sunny morning, Jazmin Vanderwall sat in a classroom at Croton’s Newaygo County Child Development Center surrounded by eager preschoolers. “What is a safe place to put money you earn?” Jazmin asked. They talked about piggy banks and wallets then banks and credit unions. “This is one of the most rewarding things I do,” Jazmin shared later.

Jazmin is the manager of Independent Bank’s Newaygo branch and visits classrooms as a volunteer with Junior Achievement (JA). JA provides financial literacy and career readiness education to students of all ages. Local programming is supported in part by grants from the Community Foundation.

It is also made possible through volunteers like Jazmin who present material ranging from basic concepts to more advanced topics like buying a car.

“Through volunteers, we can present curriculum with a local lens,” said Nate Blue, district manager for JA. “It’s a real adult from your town sharing why this knowledge matters.”

Whether Jazmin is speaking to preschoolers in Croton or eighth graders in White Cloud, she is passionate about helping equip kids for a healthier financial future.

“It’s important kids understand money doesn’t come from a magic well,” said Jazmin. “Where money comes from, saving, and building credit safely—those are conversations that need to start at an early age.”

Love INC offers many services, including a food pantry, resale store, and help center which connects people with the appropriate resources. Most importantly, however, it’s a place where transformation begins.

“We’re helping people go from just surviving to thriving,” said Traci Slager, executive director. “A lot of people feel very stuck, and we help them see life through a different lens.”

Love INC’s Transformational Ministry programs, supported in part by grants from the Community Foundation, help individuals and families make lasting changes and regain hope. Participants learn about budgeting, job skills, setting healthy boundaries, and more. They are also matched with mentors. “We always say that we’re not just giving people resources, we’re trying to build resources in people,” said Traci.

With the support of local church partners and a host of dedicated volunteers, Love INC is working to expand their Transformational Ministry and develop new initiatives to meet other community needs.

“The most rewarding part of our work is the freedom we see in people as they’re completing these programs,” said Traci. “They used to feel trapped and hopeless and didn’t see their situation being any different in the future. Now we can see the weight lifted off them. They’re starting to find a way out.”

Conservation is future-focused work. It requires deliberate, ongoing action. Habitats don’t improve overnight, and forests take decades to grow.

“Some restoration projects take a long time to show us the signs they are working,” said Kim Karn, executive director of Land Conservancy of West Michigan.

The Land Conservancy specializes in the long-term commitment that caring for natural areas requires. One of their newest projects is the McDuffee Creek Nature Preserve in northern Newaygo County. Multiple partners, including the Community Foundation,
supported the purchase of the property. Now, the Land Conservancy is also planning for amenities, like boardwalks and signage, and habitat restoration.

“Our goal is to manage the preserve with an eye toward creating and maintaining climate resilient and biodiverse landscapes,” said Kim. “We want to see the restored habitat thriving. We envision anglers, hikers, birders, and more using the preserve as a destination for nature exploration.”

While work like restoring the preserve’s oak savanna will take time, the Land Conservancy celebrates milestones along the way, like rare birds or insects returning to a once-degraded area. “How rewarding it is to know that we helped usher those conditions back!” said Kim. “To do so alongside members of the community, who volunteer their support in all manner of ways, makes it even more special.”

Weary of third shift work, Timothy found a new job with Big Rapids Products. He was doing well and was even able to buy a house. However, unexpected projects strained his finances just as his truck’s tires were giving out. “I was starting to have problems getting to and from work,” Timothy said.

Timothy knew a little about Michigan Works! from his involvement in a program on the east side of the state for returning citizens, but that had been years ago and he wasn’t sure what resources were offered here. He met with a Michigan Works! West Central coach at his workplace and explained his situation. Timothy soon received word that the organization could help him get new tires.

“Now I have told other people to get ahold of them, that there is a lot they can help you with,” Timothy said. “I’ve recommended it to a lot of people.”

Michigan Works! offers services to help people find and keep good jobs and address employment barriers. In 2021, Community Foundation grants supported the program that helped with Timothy’s tires and another that offers work-based learning opportunities for high school students.

“We offer a wide variety of services and programs that can assist both job seekers and employers in our six-county region,” said Shelly Keene, Michigan Works! West Central executive director. “By having the ability to help remove barriers, we hope this has a positive impact on employer retention rates in Newaygo County.”

Reliable transportation is a necessity in a rural county where residents can’t hail a cab or take a bus when their car breaks down. In fact, transportation is one of our area’s biggest barriers to employment.

Classis Muskegon’s Fremont Service Committee—a partnership of local churches—helps fill the need by providing cars and repairs to local people trying to get to work.

“Some of us have no idea what it’s like to get up in the morning and not have a car that’s going to start,” said Sheri Byers, who has worked with the program for 19 years. She has seen clients finish work but wait eight hours to go home because their ride is on a different shift. Others can’t schedule medical appointments or look for better jobs because there’s no way to get there.

“For some, it’s been so long since they could just jump in their own car and go to work.”

The program works with local agencies to get client referrals and has a network of mechanics who source and repair vehicles. It’s supported in part by a grant from the Community Foundation.

Mary works in Fremont and recently received a car through the program. “It has made it 100 percent easier to not only get to work, but I could take a job change that led to more money because I can now drive to the office every day,” she said. “I have never been happier!”

In less than two years, the West Michigan Research Station went from a field and a dream to a collection of neat green and white buildings and a hum of activity.

“In 20 months, we went from zero dollars in the checking account to where we are now,” said Andy Riley, president of West Central Michigan Horticultural Research Inc. Located on 68 acres in Hart, Michigan, the $1.5 million agricultural research station serves fruit and asparagus growers in Mason, Newaygo, and Oceana counties. It will host a Michigan State University Extension educator and MSU graduate students researching fruit varieties, invasive species, and more.

According to Andy, the microclimate of the three-county region is unique and boasts diverse crops thanks to its proximity to Lake Michigan. But unlike other regions, there was no station to address the needs of local farmers or for large-scale agricultural research.

“We were one of the largest fruit-growing regions without a research station,” he said. “Traverse City has one, Grand Rapids, southeast Michigan—but we didn’t. Now, our counties [can] be on the cutting edge.”

In addition to being a research hub, the station includes meeting and event space. Project leaders also look forward to offering educational opportunities for local students. The Community Foundation was an early supporter of the project, awarding a $50,000 grant in 2020.

“We’re so grateful for the Community Foundation’s support, for the support of Peterson Farms, and the people who donated,” said Andy. “Everything is always changing. Growers have to know how to adapt. This place is a problem-solving unit.”

A trip to the symphony usually doesn’t involve getting to play along or being showered with confetti from the ceiling, but that’s what hundreds of local elementary students have experienced each year for nearly two decades as part of Link Up.

The Link Up program is run locally by the West Michigan Symphony Orchestra in partnership with Carnegie Hall. It provides a beginning music education for third through fifth graders and is supported in part by grants from the Community Foundation. Students learn about instruments, how to read music, and how to play the recorder. In a typical year, members of the orchestra visit classrooms and at the spring symphony concert, students bring their recorders and play along.

According to Karen VanderZanden, orchestra director of education, the decision to cancel last year’s concert because of the pandemic was necessary but painful. “Kids are usually very excited to participate in a concert,” she said. “They can see why live music is so wonderful.” But despite the challenges of going online, Karen and other program leaders found creative ways to keep students engaged. Recorders were temporarily swapped out for bucket drums and other percussive instruments. Lessons, activities, and classroom visits with musicians moved to virtual spaces. The annual spring concert was recorded and posted online for anyone to enjoy.

“There are so many inherent benefits to learning music,” said Karen. “Studies show connections to things like higher GPAs, lower dropout rates, and learning about teamwork. It’s rewarding to see students excited about how music can be a part of their lives. This year has been a challenge, but I’m glad we didn’t give up.”