What do you believe Michigan needs to do to improve personal prosperity, for all its residents?
On Tuesday, April 17, the West Michigan community will have an opportunity to weigh in on this very question. The Michigan Truth Tour is stopping at Calvin College’s Prince Conference Center (1800 E. Beltline SE, Grand Rapids, Mich.) at 5:30 p.m. to provide a guided town hall meeting on the topic. A light dinner and Spanish interpretation will be provided for participants.
The statewide road show is led by Bridge Magazine, a nonpartisan and nonprofit winner of “Michigan’s Best Newspaper” in 2016 and 2017, awarded by The Michigan Press Association. During the tour’s 100 stops throughout the state, The Center for Michigan is gathering ideas and feedback to create a report to share with elected officials in early 2019.
Amber DeLind, engagement strategy director at The Center for Michigan, which publishes Bridge Magazine, states, “The goal of the Michigan Truth Tour is to drive and safeguard facts, and spur thoughtful, future-oriented public discussion about Michigan’s biggest problems in an age of hyper-partisan dissension.” At the end of the year, the MI Truth Tour team will inform newly elected officials about what residents all over the state think regarding these important issues.
“This town hall is an opportunity for any resident in the Grand Rapids area to come and make their voice heard, get engaged, informed, and ready for the state election regarding the issues surrounding personal prosperity,” said Allison Rudi, public research project coordinator at Calvin College’s Center for Social Research, who is partnering to bring this event to Grand Rapids. “We at the Center for Social Research believe firmly in inclusive community engagement, civic education, and public participation. We are honored to partner with the Center for Michigan and our other community collaborators to host this event. I have attended several similar Center for Michigan events, and they’re always very informative and engaging. I know the ideas that emerge in these town halls will make their way to legislators and stakeholders in their year-end reports.”
The town hall meeting will be followed by a screening of Michigan Divided at 7 p.m., a documentary exploring political divisions in the state, plus other events that are part of the Michigan Truth Tour.
While the event is free and open to the public, organizers are asking for participants to please RSVP either via Facebook, bit.ly/GrandRapidsTruthTour, by email to [email protected], or by phone to 616-526-7799.
Collaborating organizations for this event include: Disability Advocates of Kent County, Essential Needs Task Force of Kent County (ENTF), Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, KConnect, Latino Community Coalition, LINC Up, and the Center for Social Research at Calvin College.
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