 | Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief volunteers used Camp Newaygo as their base in late March while assisting with flood relief efforts in Newaygo County. In addition, American Red Cross volunteers worked out of the TrueNorth Service Center for their flood-relief operations in March. | |
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Making fixesCenter for Nonprofit Housing program helps with home repairs It was a cold March afternoon, but Mike didn’t mind. The long-time rural Hesperia resident was finally going to get water at his home.
His well pump quit working in late October, and he and his family had been without water ever since.
Not knowing what to do, Mike reached out to his neighbor, a TrueNorth Community Services staff member. She connected him with TrueNorth’s Center for Nonprofit Housing (CNH).
Through CNH’s Home Repairs Program and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' State Emergency Relief fund, he was able to score the money he needed for the project.
“It’s going to be quite a difference,” he said getting the new well installed.
If you or someone you know lives in Newaygo County, is on a limited income and needs emergency home repairs, CNH might be able to help. Call 231.924.0641, ext. 130, or email info@cnhousing.org for more details.
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Music Scholarship ContestHesperia High School freshman marimba player takes top honors
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| Hesperia High School freshman Zachary Achterhoff-Failing claimed top honors in the 2019 TrueNorth Music Scholarship Contest.
Achterhoff-Failing, a marimba player, earned a $200 scholarship for his performance in a field of 17 student musicians at the TrueNorth Service Center’s Multipurpose Room on March 26.
The runner-up was pianist Josie Visser, a Fremont Christian School eighth grader; she received a $150 scholarship.
Placing third were Sierra Horton, a Fremont High School sophomore, on piano; Cody Routley, a Fremont High sophomore, on piano; Mikayla Slovinski, a Fremont High freshman, on piano; and Kayla Rounds, a Newaygo High School junior, on flute. They all received $100 scholarships. The scholarship awards must be spent on furthering the students' musical endeavors.
The contest was adjudicated by Brian Lewis, a retired music teacher and local musician; and was organized by TrueNorth's Cultural Enrichment Programs.
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Looking at Childcare MIT works with Circles, Fremont Area Community Foundation on study
With local childcare options lacking, a study is afoot looking for possible solutions.
Without “second-shift or a third-shift childcare in the community, that really puts a barrier on some of our community members,” said Michelle Marciniak, Circles Newaygo County Coordinator.
In collaboration to identify what might be done, three Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management MBA students are studying the matter. They are working with Fremont Area Community Foundation, TrueNorth Community Services, Circles Newaygo County, and others, having visited Newaygo County for a week in March.
"People who are making a fairly low wage, maybe get a slight raise or go from not working to working in a minimum wage or low-wage job,” said Georgia Travers, one of the MIT Sloan students on the team. “And, as a result, (they) may face reduced food support, childcare subsidies or other government benefits.”
Lisa Daniell, TrueNorth’s Volunteer Resource Center Director, said: “Identifying readily accessible solutions means more people can find work and escape the cycle of poverty.”
The MIT Sloan students expect to release their findings by late May.
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Bowlapalooza 2019 Supports True MentorsThere is still time to take part in Bowlapalooza 2019, and help support TrueMentors.
Bowlapalooza 2019 is April 25, 5 p.m. -7 p.m.; April 26, 5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.–10 p.m.; and April 27, 3 p.m.-5 p.m., at The Commons of Fremont, 5885 S. Warner Avenue in Fremont.
Nearly a third of the annual budget for TrueMentors is raised through Bowlapalooza. The event's King Pin Sponsor is ParVox Technology.
With a minimum of $40 raised, Bowlapalooza participants get two games of bowling, shoe rental and a t-shirt. For every $40 raised, participants receive a raffle ticket for door prizes; and everyone raising at least $75 is entered into a drawing for a $250 Meijer gift card. The top overall fundraiser wins a 50-inch Smart TV.
Register now for Bowlapalooza 2019 online. Contact Chelsea Clark at (231) 924-0641, ext. 109, or cclark@truenorthservices.org with any questions.
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- TrueNorth Art Scholarship Contest/Exhibit, April 22-25
- Feeding America West Michigan Mobile Food Pantry, April 24
- Bowlapalooza 2019, April 25-27
- Tai Chi Class, April 27
- The Enchanted Forest at Camp Newaygo, April 27
- Camp Newaygo Open House, April 28
- Spring Girlfriends Get-A-Way, May 3-5
- Mom & Me, May 10-11
- Mother's Day Brunch, May 12
- Friday Piano Showcase, May 17
- Feeding America West Michigan Mobile Food Pantry, May 29
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