It’s a sunny day, and you’re wandering up and down the aisles at an outdoor farmers market. Your senses come alive –– your eyes gaze upon vibrant flowers and your nose tingles at the scent of ethnic food. You hear the sounds of a local farmer chatting with a customer about fresh fruits and veggies from their farm. Summer is here.
Do you have a bicycle in your garage that you haven’t ridden in years? To tune it up this spring and ride it again would allow you to enjoy the outdoors and get some exercise.
Since 2001, All Species Kinship in Battle Creek has rescued injured and orphaned wildlife and domestic animals, treating trauma cases at their specialty clinic. In accordance with its mission to live in harmony with all species to the best of our abilities, the nonprofit assesses and responds to at least 500 wildlife calls a year.
This timely, fundamental proclamation is included in the mission statement of Read and Write Kalamazoo (RAWK), a nonprofit association that has championed the cause since 2012. And their method of achieving social justice and inclusion is unique: they celebrate and amplify youth voices.
Open Doors Kalamazoo’s mission notes that establishing a residence is necessary for a healthy, productive life. The nonprofit is building a community of people who are overcoming homelessness not only through housing, but also through relationships, employment, education, and sobriety in response to God’s love for all.
We dream of a world where we give peace a chance, of a future where we fight no more wars. But the wars of our history must not be forgotten – their legacies are too important, their personal sacrifices too great. "To brighten the future, we must illuminate the past" is the operating principle of Lest We Forget, a nonprofit association established by a group of veterans.
PeaceJam Foundation, a Colorado-based international organization supporting young people working for peaceful change, was founded by two Michigan natives, Dawn Engle and Ivan Suvanjieff. As Suvanjieff left his apartment to go to work one day in 1996, he saw four young boys carrying guns, which was commonplace in that area at that time.
Communities in Schools (CIS) is a national organization that removes barriers that typically derail students from attending or finishing school, some of which are outside their control. Some barriers include receiving adequate nutrition, help with homework, ample homework supplies, and sufficient healthcare.
A man pleasantly chats with those nearby while he waits in line for his turn to shop at Kalamazoo’s Loaves and Fishes (KLF) food pantry.
It is precisely this caliber of applicant -- as well as judges and even audience members -- that the Stulberg has drawn annually since its inception in 1975. Intended as a memorial for the late Julius Stulberg, a beloved and respected professor at Western Michigan University and conductor of both the University Symphony and Kalamazoo Junior Symphony for many years
