Focus on Issues: Community Outreach Court
Grand Rapids' Heartside social service organizations have teamed up with legal service organizations and the Grand Rapids District Court to form the Community Outreach Court.
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Focus on Issues
Focus on Issues features nonprofits and community groups collaborating on social issues in Grand Rapids. The program is a feature of GRTV and the Community Media Center, with producer and host Julie Way. You can catch it on GRTV and can view past episodes on the Grand Rapids Community Media Center website. If there is an issue that you would like to see discussed, please contact Julie Way.
The latest episode of Focus on Issues focuses on the Community Outreach Court, a new initiative in the Heartside Neighborhood. Oftentimes, individuals experiencing homelessness have minor legal issues that create barriers to getting their lives on track. The Community Outreach Court helps this population resolve their legal issues in a safe environment so that they can keep moving forward.
Dennis VanKampen, Vice President of Programs at Mel Trotter Ministries, Judge Don Passenger of the 61st District Court, and Dustie DeVille, CEO of Community Legal Services join us in studio to discuss how their organizations came together to create the Court and how it is helping people in our community. Learn more about this initiative of the Heartside Neighborhood Collaboration Project at their website: hncp.net.
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