The Board of Trustees of the Grand Rapids (Michigan) Community Foundation recently approved $352,174 in grants to address a variety of issues in our community. The grants include:

Arbor Circle Corporation is one of five agencies in Kent County that offers the nationally recognized Early Impact program. This program provides voluntary prevention services to families potentially at-risk for child abuse and neglect. Arbor Circle is being awarded $60,000 from the Community Foundation for ongoing support of the Early Impact program and to make necessary changes to the current assessment tool.

Community Revitalization and Economic Development Center (CREDC) is a program of St. Luke A.M.E. Zion Church that provides health, economic, social and educational services for people living in the surrounding neighborhood. CREDC is moving to a new building specifically designed to house the program at the corner of Sheldon and Delaware. The expectation is that the volunteer-run program will markedly increase its neighborhood services. To effectively begin service delivery, while preparing to ramp up services, CREDC is being awarded $30,000.

Fair Housing Center of West Michigan is a nonprofit organization that provides enforcement of fair housing laws by investigating complaints of housing discrimination, and education and outreach services. The organization is primarily supported through federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Housing funds, and state, county and city Community Development Block Grants. The Community Foundation is awarding the agency $30,000 to continue organizational programming while they finish their capital campaign.

Kent Intermediate School District is being awarded $132,174 to implement diversity training and follow up activities for all 9,765 ninth grade students in Kent County’s public, private and parochial schools. This is part of the Kent Intermediate School District Diversity Initiative which will focus on diversity and healing racism to improve student achievement.

Project Access is a physician led, community-based program that coordinates donated medical care and services provided by physicians, hospitals, pharmacies and others for uninsured, low income people living in Kent County. The goal of Project Access is to coordinate patient enrollment and referrals that make a broad range of donated services available for uninsured people. The Community Foundation is awarding Project Access $100,000 for growth and development of its programming and outreach.