Across Michigan, 43% of households struggle to afford the basic necessities of housing, child care, food, technology, health care, and transportation. This data comes from the United Way’s ALICE Report, but CEDAM also hears this anecdotally from members around the state who are working hard to create affordable housing, increase child care options, and train...
By Zach Miller, VISTA leader Amanda Leitch, one of ten CEDAM AmeriCorps VISTA members, is “getting things done” at her host site organization Have Mercy in Greenville. Have Mercy provides food and shelter to those in need in Montcalm and Ionia counties. Due to rising rents in Grand Rapids, both counties are seeing increased demand...
By Elliott Zelenak, former Hamtramck community development fellow I moved to Hamtramck last fall prior to the start of the community development fellowship. I grew up in a town less than 30 minutes away and attended college in nearby Detroit—so while Hamtramck has always been on my radar, I never spent much time here, nor...
By Samantha Fabbri, West Branch community development fellow West Branch was fortunate to be chosen as one of the communities to participate in Round 2 of Project Rising Tide (PRT). Early on, childcare, or rather the lack thereof, was identified as an action item that needed to be addressed in our community. Through technical assistance...
By Ross Yednock, Director of the MEIC at CEDAM Michigan policy has long held our state’s families living in or near poverty back from saving for emergencies and planning for the future. That has now changed, thanks to Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s announcement earlier this year that increased asset limits for three Michigan assistance programs. As...
Albion, MI residents gathered to discuss the city’s identity – the end product tells a larger story. Written by: Linda LaNoue, Albion Community Development Fellow Cultural and natural assets abound in Albion, a small town along the I-94 corridor between Jackson and Battle Creek. While the local post-secondary school, Albion College, has gained significant press...
By Natalie Rogers, former junior policy associate All buildings have a life cycle, at least that is what Dr. Rex LaMore, director of the Michigan State University Center for Community and Economic Development, wants city planners to start realizing. Dr. LaMore and his team are working to advance domicology, a new way of thinking about...
We’re excited to announce that CEDAM is celebrating 10 years of hosting AmeriCorps programs! Throughout the year, we’ll be interviewing alumni, highlighting current members, and sharing the impact our members have on their communities. To kick things off, check out these 10 fun facts about CEDAM’s AmeriCorps programs: More than 250 Michiganders have served with...
By Nick Miller, CEDAM AmeriCorps member at Capital Area United Way For the past year I’ve been a CEDAM AmeriCorps member serving at Capital Area United Way (CAUW), assisting with their Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Being able to help in the field of financial stability was something that appealed to me, though it...
By Lissette Reyes, community development fellow There are many ways to determine if a community is thriving. You can look at economic statistics, social trends, employment, demographics, and a number of other determinants; but how do we measure our community pride? What about the commitment from leadership to overcome challenges and move forward? Do these...
