Grand Rapids Business Journal
Courtesy North Kent Connect
Courtesy North Kent Connect
Courtesy North Kent Connect
A northern Kent County nonprofit completed a 12,000-square-foot expansion to better serve its clients and is inviting the public to an open house to tour the facilities.
Rockford-based North Kent Connect (NKC), a faith-based nonprofit that provides basic needs and economic services to residents of northern Kent County, said Wednesday that it completed its $3.314 million expansion that doubled the nonprofit’s footprint.
Construction, which began about a year ago, wrapped up in early May.
“This expansion was much needed, as we simply outgrew our building,” said Claire Guisfredi, executive director for North Kent Connect. “By nearly doubling our space, we can continue to enhance our programs and connect even more people to resources to improve their lives. We are grateful to our numerous partners and supporters who have made this happen.”
Grand Rapids Business Journal
Courtesy United Methodist Community House
A pair of local nonprofits formed a partnership to provide the families they serve with better child care and early childhood education resources.
Grand Rapids-based United Methodist Community House said last week that it is partnering with Family Promise of Grand Rapids to expand wraparound support and resources for families with children in the UMCH Child Development Center.
“Family stability is extremely important for children to find success,” said Carla Moore, chief operations officer at UMCH. “We understand from years of research how much critical development is happening while students are in our care. We want to ensure their environment is optimized, which will help to set them up for success later in life. This partnership looks at the family as a whole and helps to provide families with the tools they need to be successful.”
Pandemic doubles the number of families in Kent County homeless shelters
Updated Jan 08, 2021;
Posted Jan 08, 2021
The number of families in Kent County homeless shelters has doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic began. (MLive File Photo)
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GRAND RAPIDS, MI The number of families in Kent County homeless shelters has doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to Cheryl Schuch, executive director of Family Promise.
The nonprofit serves low-income and homeless families and is the lead agency for temporarily housing homeless people in hotels.
In March, Schuch said shelters were at their regular capacity of about 40 families. Now, about 85 families, or roughly 340 parents and children, are being housed.