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 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...
The Lake Trust Foundation, a CEDAM member, awarded more than $45,000 in scholarships to Michigan residents during its annual scholarship award celebration on September 4, 2019. Lake Trust Foundation President David Snodgrass presented LaToya Wright of Muskegon with a Community Impact Scholarship that rewards an aspiring community-oriented entrepreneur who wishes to run a business with...
By Danielle Siegel, AmeriCorps VISTA member, Community Foundation for Oceana County Have you seen one of the new Little Free Libraries popping up around Oceana County? Jumping into the early literacy effort is Eagle Scout Thomas Carey of Shelby Boy Scout Troop #1151. With the help of a local builder, Carey built and installed three...
By Alicia Guevara Warren, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) For those of us who have kids, the struggles of being a new parent are unforgettable. Kids don’t come with a handbook or instruction booklet, and we often feel like we are learning as we go along. It doesn’t matter how old you were when you...
By Rep. Steve Tobocman, executive director of Global Detroit Michigan’s immigrant story is deeply woven into the history of the state. Take my grandfather, Morris Tobocman, who immigrated to Detroit from Poland a century ago to pursue the American Dream. He had almost no formal education, arrived penniless and knew no English. Like so many...
The Michigan Historic Preservation Network (MHPN) is a CEDAM partner. Nancy Finegood, executive director of MHPN, who is retiring in March 2019, has been an important voice and leader for community economic development and historic preservation in Michigan. The following letter by Denise McGeen, president of the MHPN Board of Directors, was initially announced through email...
I can think of many reasons—390 to be exact—as to why payday loans hurt communities. Payday loans are high-cost, short term loans with fees equivalent to APRs as high as 390 percent. Lenders of these loans advertise using stock photos of friendly faces and smiling staff promising to help people out when they need “cash,...
This summer has seen multiple days of 90 degree + weather so far, and my guess is the last thing anyone is probably thinking about is heating their home. However, if those eligible have not applied for the Michigan Home Heating Credit, then they should. Believe it or not, soon enough these long, hot summer...
Michigan Disability Rights Coalition Mission: MDRC cultivates disability pride and strengthens the disability movement by recognizing disability as a natural and beautiful part of human diversity while collaborating to dismantle all forms of oppression. Full disclosure: Nate Wardell, who passed away in May 2016, was the brother of Chris Wardell, CEDAM’s administrative assistant. — CEDAM...
