communityconversations
Rethinking child support, Part 1: How good parents go to jail
by (Marjorie Steele)
Submitted 08-08-2017 under OPINION
This is the first in a two-part series examining the United States’ Child Support Enforcement system, Michigan Friend of the Court’s role in implementing it, and its impact on local communities - specifically in Kent County, Michigan....
Navigating campus for the first time
by (Writers Alley)
Submitted 08-01-2017 under LOCAL LIFE
The transition from high school to college involves significant changes. You may move into a dorm or you may be navigating the commute from home to school, including the always-daunting parking arrangements and costs. Instead of the at-least...
When 'them' becomes 'us': Standing with the Muslim community of Grand Rapids
by (Kaufman Interfaith)
Submitted 07-25-2017 under NONPROFITS
It all begins with listening. This past winter, amidst a season fraught with 569 Islamophobic attacks in the United States and a surge in Islamophobic rhetoric, the Peace and Justice Task Force of the Interfaith Service Council decided it was...
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services spotlight: Learning to advocate while parenting
by (ncluley)
Submitted 07-11-2017 under OPINION
We generally don’t think about a cause or a different lifestyle unless we are personally going through it or living it. Unless, of course, someone close to us is experiencing the situation. This is our story. Our third child, Hannah, is hard...
Immigrant Heritage Month Profile: Meet Kavy Lenon
by (Queenofgr)
Submitted 07-06-2017 under LOCAL LIFE
For Immigrant Heritage Month, I asked several friends and connections who immigrated to Grand Rapids to share a little about their heritage. The goal of this endeavor is to help educate and inform myself and others in the community about...
We are the skyline: Reflection from our windows, our pains
by (Erica Soto)
Submitted 07-05-2017 under OPINION
We all carry within us a purpose, which gives us pride in everything we are a part of. That pride is especially present in the cities we work, live, and play in. The skylines we regularly see, buildings that stretch hundreds of feet into the vibrant...
Immigrant Heritage Month Profile: Meet Sandi Broomberg Simms
by (Queenofgr)
Submitted 06-30-2017 under LOCAL LIFE
For Immigrant Heritage Month, I asked several friends and connections who immigrated to Grand Rapids to share a little about their heritage. The goal of this endeavor is to help educate and inform myself and others in the community about...
Immigrant Heritage Month Profile: Meet Ace Marasigan
by (Queenofgr)
Submitted 06-30-2017 under LOCAL LIFE
For Immigrant Heritage Month, I asked several friends and connections who immigrated to Grand Rapids to share a little about their heritage. The goal of this endeavor is to help educate and inform myself and others in the community about...
Immigrant Heritage Month Profile: Meet Sana Khan
by (Queenofgr)
Submitted 06-29-2017 under LOCAL LIFE
For Immigrant Heritage Month, I asked several friends and connections who immigrated to Grand Rapids to share a little about their heritage. The goal of this endeavor is to help educate and inform myself and others in the community about...
Immigrant Heritage Month Profile: Meet Mohannad Rjaila
by (Queenofgr)
Submitted 06-29-2017 under LOCAL LIFE
For Immigrant Heritage Month, I asked several friends and connections who immigrated to Grand Rapids to share a little about their heritage. The goal of this endeavor is to help educate and inform myself and others in the community about...