homeless
Thankful for Second Chances, New Clients Share What Brought Them to Guiding Light
by (Guiding Light)
Submitted 07-01-2020 under NONPROFITS
In mid-March, Guiding Light halted intake of new clients into our Recovery and Back to Work programs. We loaned our building to the Kent County Health Department so individuals experiencing homelessness who contracted the novel coronavirus could be...
From Self-Destruction to Self-Awareness
by (Guiding Light)
Submitted 11-18-2019 under NONPROFITS
The story isn’t an uncommon one. Andy was attending high school in Novi, and was a member of the lacrosse team, participating in bowling, and golf. His family belonged to a country club and life was, arguably, good. It started with a bit...
Dégagé Ministries helps returning citizens
by (Degage Ministries)
Submitted 12-11-2018 under NONPROFITS
“I was reintroduced to Christ.” Being dropped off in the Heartside Neighborhood after spending time in prison with only the clothes on your back is not exactly an easy way to begin a new chapter in your life. David says that he was...
Finding apartment in midst of affordable housing crisis is not easy
by (Degage Ministries)
Submitted 12-04-2018 under NONPROFITS
“Now I have a place to call home.” Finding an apartment in the midst of an affordable housing crisis is not easy. It takes a lot of dedication not only from Dégagé staff, but also from those we serve. It involves pursuing every lead and...
Dégagé Ministries works as nucleus for homeless
by (Degage Ministries)
Submitted 11-27-2018 under NONPROFITS
“Dégagé was the nucleus for us. Every day we would come here to eat and find out where to go.” Jack, an Air Force veteran and a dear friend of the ministry, expresses the difficulty he and his fiancé Della faced while they were homeless...
Volunteer nurses offer health screenings for the community at Dégagé Ministries
by (Degage Ministries)
Submitted 05-25-2018 under NONPROFITS
Twice a month, a group of volunteer nurses faithfully hold Health Depot. These nurses perform general health screenings on our patrons to assess appropriate care. “Many patrons believe the ‘best’ healthcare is through the emergency...
Small steps, big results
by (Guiding Light)
Submitted 02-07-2018 under NONPROFITS
A new year is often thought of as a new start. For Johnny, this January has been the realization of a long-time goal. This is a special story for me to be able to share with you: the hard work and long road that’s resulted in a new type of...
Catalyst Radio: HQ talks about helping homeless youth in Grand Rapids
by (Catalyst Radio)
Submitted 01-12-2018 under NONPROFITS
Host John Moose Williamson speaks with Luke Petsch, Development Director of HQGR, a youth drop-in center for those in unsafe or unstable housing situations. For more information on HQ, visit https://hqgr.org/. Catalyst Radio is the weekly public...
Regulating begging is still bad solution to poverty, public safety concerns
by (Elizabeth Roger...)
Submitted 12-12-2017 under OPINION
I work at The Rapidian now and have for about three years, but before I was a staff member, I was a community journalist. The second article I wrote on The Rapidian was an opinion piece detailing why I thought banning panhandling was a terrible idea...
Grand Rapids Housing Commission offers housing solutions for homeless and low-income community members
by (GRTV)
Submitted 10-12-2017 under NONPROFITS
In this week’s segment of GRTV’s NPO Showcase, Laura Oesch, Lead Resident Services Specialist from the Grand Rapids Housing Commission, discusses how they assist low-income individuals and families obtain housing and become self-...