Tag Archives: GM Foundation

Wyoming Alliance one of five groups to receive a grant from GM Foundation

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, , , , , , , , ,
Recipients of the GM Foundation grants with GM and UAW Local 167 representatives.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

Five local organizations, which provide a range of services from environmental to empowerment of girls, were selected to receive a total of $25,000 from the GM Community Grants program funded by the GM Foundation.

 

“This is not only where our employees come to work each day, it is where our families, friends and neighbors live,” said GM Components Assistant Plant Manager Michael Skilling, who made the announcement during the Metro Cruise opening ceremonies on Saturday. GM Components Holdings LLC is located at 2100 Burlingame Ave. SW.

 

Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll and Wyoming Police Chief James Carmody

The GM Foundation is providing $2 million to more than 180 organizations in 47 communities where GM employees live and work. One of the five local organizations to receive a grant was the Greater Wyoming Community Resource Alliance.

 

“This is the fourth time we have received this from GM and its speaks of their commitment to the community,” said Wyoming Police Chief James Carmody who along with Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll accepted the $5,000 check for the Greater Wyoming Community Resource Alliance.

 

The money will be used to help fund scholarships for youth and families to participate in health, wellness, and recreational activities; public safety initiatives including National Night Out festivities and support and advocating for citizen-driven committees and organizations including Pinery Park Little League, the Community Enrichment Commission and neighborhood associations.

 

“Most of the stuff we do is really interesting in that 100 percent of the donations/contributions that come to the Alliance go back out,” Carmody said. “So there is no administrative costs and that’s a great benefit to the people here, especially to the local community which is our focus.”

 

Poll added that the Alliance has had a number of people from the city step up to volunteer and commit time to make Wyoming a good place to live and work.

 

“They are very good neighbors,” Poll said of the donation from GM Foundation.

 

Accepting for WMEAC was (left) Executive Director Bill Wood and Director Development Mary Robinson

These following groups also each received $5,000 each from the GM Community Grants program:

 

Feeding America – West Michigan Food Bank, which supports four School Mobile Pantries, feeding more than 1,200 families over a four-month period. “At Parkview Elementary, less than a mile from the GM facility, the School Mobile Pantry distributes 7,500 pounds of fresh produce, dairy products, and grains directly to individuals in need,” Skilling said.

 

Finish the Mission Veterans Relief Fund, which has the goal to make West Michigan the most Veteran Friendly community in the nation, will use the money to help local veterans in need and with ongoing capital improvement projects at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans.

 

West Michigan Environmental Action Council will be using the funds to support “Teach for the Watershed” at Godfrey-Lee Elementary School. This program gives all fourth graders the hands-on opportunity to learn about their watershed, storm water contamination and what they can do to prevent pollution. Skilling noted that mentors from GM volunteer to help students make a connection between science and science-based careers. The funds also will support WMEAC’s Annual Mayors’ Grand River Clean Up.

 

YWCA – Grand Rapids provides prevention and empowerment services for women and girls. The grant will be used to provide girls with experiences that develop their awareness and engagement in their community, all while supporting their individual and collective power to become the next generation of leaders.

Metro Cruise hits the teens as it marks its 13th year this weekend

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, , , , , ,
The Pin Up Contest takes place at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Main Stage at Rogers Plaza.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

It’s gonna be cars, cars and more cars this weekend as the 13th Annual Metro Cruise takes place this Friday and Saturday along 28th Street.

 

Once again, the epicenter of it all will be Rogers Plaza with cars, vendors and food along with WKTV on site to record the two-day event.

 

“It has grown into quite a large event,” said Bob O’Callaghan, the president of the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, which ha hosted the annual event. “The original thought process was to get a few cars and a couple thousand people at Rogers Plaza to highlight 28th Street and last year we have about 250,000 people and about 16,000 collector cars.”

 

New to this year’s event is the Blessing of the Cars which takes place Thursday, Aug. 24, at 7 p.m. at Wesley Park United Methodist Church, 1120 32nd St. SW. The lot will open for cars starting at 6 p.m. Cars should enter off of 32nd Street or Michael Avenue.

 

On the east end of 28th Street will be the Cascade’s Metro Cruise Warm Up from 4:30 – 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, at the Thornapple Center, 6797 Cascade Rd SE. (near the Cascade Road and 28th Street intersection.) Along with lots of cars, there will be food trucks, live music from the band Decades, kids’ activities, and a dunk tank to benefit the Kent County Sheriff’s Department’s K9 Unit. The event is sponsored by the Cascade DDA, Cascade Community Foundation and the Forest Hills Business Association.

 

Other new additions to this year is expand hours for the event with it running from 4 – 10 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 25, and 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, said O’Callaghan, noting the closing times are about an hour later than in previous years.

 

For Friday, Aug. 25, food and vendors will be at Rogers Plaza along with a variety of cars. Main Stage entertainment will feature Big Boss Band at 4 p.m. followed by local country singer Kari Lynch at 7 p.m.

 

While the event starts on Friday, which O’Callaghan noted organizers have seen increase attendance Friday night over the past several years, the official opening ceremonies take place at 9 a.m. Saturday. During the ceremonies, the GM Foundation presents checks to several local charities.

 

At a 11 a.m., about eight ladies will compete in the annual Pin Up contest, which is an era-type contest with the ladies involved dressing according to the era they represent, O’Callaghan said,

 

“The belief before people get to know Pin Up is that it’s just women perpetuating the old school idea that women should be beautiful and something that men should look at,” said Amanda Miehle, who is Victory Belle and will be competing in this year’s contest. That women can’t be more than a pretty face but Pin Up is so much more than that. It is empowering. Women took something with a stigma and a label that was once almost degrading to women and they reclaimed it. These women are amazing. They are strong. They are empowering. They are uplifting to other women. They are not afraid to get on a stage and show the world they are beautiful.

 

“It’s kind of like taking something and making it our own.”

 

There is more music starting at noon on Saturday with blues group Out of Favor Boys followed by country group Stolen Horses at 3:30 p.m. and JetBeats wrapping up the evening with a performance from 7 – 8:45 p.m.

 

Of course there are activities all along 28th Street at various businesses and car dealerships. One such event that takes place through the entire month of August is the Art Cruise. Similar to ArtPrize, local artists are matched with 18 Wyoming businesses where the artists’ work is featured for the month.

 

For a complete list of the businesses — or for more about this year’s Metro Cruise — make sure to pick up a brochure at the event or visit 28thstreetmetrocruise.com.

Five local organizations recipients of GM Foundation grants totaling $25,000

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, , , , , , ,
Members of the various organizations that received grant monies totaling $25,000 braved the rain to participate in this year's 28th Street Metro Cruise.
Members of the various organizations that received grant monies totaling $25,000 braved the rain to participate in this year’s 28th Street Metro Cruise.

For almost a year the Blue Star Moms have been working to raise $40,000 to renovate the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans’ community room, the Cozy Corners.

 

“They have done a fantastic job and received a $30,000 grant from SpartanNash Company [owners of Family Fare, D&W and other grocery stores],” said Tiffany Carr, director of member and community relations for the home. Carr also works with the Finish the Mission Veterans Relief Fund. Along with the Freedom Cruise, the Finish the Mission Veterans Relief Fund focuses on capital improvement projects for the home along with assisting individual veterans.

 

“The Blue Star Moms came to us about the Cozy Corners project and we said, ‘How much do you need?'” Carr said, adding that the $5,000 grant received from the GM Foundation on Saturday during the 28th Street Metro Cruise will help wrap up the fundraising efforts so that renovation on the community room could start in the next 30 days.

 

For the past several years GM has recognized and supported local organizations that help with a number of projects within the community. The GM Community Grants program, funded by the GM Foundation, is providing $2 million to hundreds of organizations in 47 communities where GM employees live and work. Of that amount, $25,000 was awarded to the General Motors Grand Rapids Components Operations in Wyoming to give to local organizations.

 

“We actually start the process by surveying our employees,” said Grand Rapids Components Operations Personal Director Dale Johnson. “We ask them where they are volunteering and what organizations they are participating with.”

 

From there, the list of possible organizations are reviewed with the goal being to select a broad spectrum of groups with various initiatives, health, education, human services, environmental and community development, Johnson said. This Grand Rapids Components Operations awarded $5,000 grants to five organizations: Finish the Mission Veterans Relief Fund, Feeding America, the YWCA, the West Michigan Environmental Action Council and the Greater Wyoming Community Resource Alliance.

 

The Greater Wyoming Community Resource Alliance provides scholarships for Wyoming families to participate in health, wellness and recreational activities. City Manager Curtis Holt said the Alliance has been the recipient of grants from GM in the past and are honored to have again been selected again this year.

 

“It’s a real honor to know that the employees were the ones who help select the groups,” said YWCA Development Community Coordinator Amber Jones. The YWCA plans to use its grant for its Girls Inc. Leadership and Community Action program which is designed to help foster future leaders in the communities where people live.

 

“Our primary services focus on sexual assault and domestic violence,” Jones said. “We have a pressing need for help after something has happened and do not always have the funds for prevention. This money will be specifically set aside for that program.”

 

The West Michigan Environmental Action Council will use its funds for the Teach for the Watershed program at Godfrey Lee Elementary School. This program teaches science in the field and the stream with mentors from GM volunteering to help the students learn about science and to make a connection between science-based careers. The money also will help with the 13th Annual Mayors’ Grand River Clean Up set for Sept. 10.

 

The Feeding America – West Michigan Food Bank will use its grant toward the support of its School Mobile Pantries which has feed more than 1,200 families during a four-month period. At Parkview Elementary, less than a mile from the GM facility, the School Mobile Pantry distributes 7,500 pounds of fresh produce, dairy products, and grains.