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NWI News and Events
Photo of sunflower in Riddle school garden courtesy of Katie Olender
Emergency Food Distribution Every 1st and 3rd Thursday from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm Doors open at 11:00 am Residents in need for zip codes 48933, 48915, 48906 First Presbyterian Church 510 West Ottawa St. 98933 (517) 482-0668 Angel Food Ministries Place orders in the middle of the month and pick up at the end of the month. Call Julie @ (517) 485-0174 (Must enroll prior to distribution) Letts Community Center (Supplemental Bread Location) Monday– Thursday; 12-6pm. 1220 W. Kalamazoo St. 517-483-4311 |
| Get Involved! |
| NorthWest Initiative - North Neighborhood Center 530 W. Ionia St., Suite D, Lansing, MI 48933 Phone: 517-999-2894 Fax: 517-999-2897 |
| NWI now on Facebook & Twitter—check us out! You can now follow NorthWest Initiative on the following social media websites:
Do You Need Health Coverage, Emergency Food, or Other Assistance? Click here to see how we can help! Tax Season NorthWest Initiative would like to remind the community of the VITA tax assistance program starting February 1, 2013. For more infomation, please contact: 2-1-1 To make an appointment. OR GO TO www.assentindependencecoalition.org Or contact Tiffany McKissick at (517) 256-1466 NorthWest Initiative is proud to announce that our "Summer Jobs for Youth" project is one of the top 2000 finalists (out of 3,000 applications) in the State Farm Neighborhood Assist™ Program. We need you to rally behind our cause, cast your vote and help us win! Here’s how: click here https://www.state-assist. com/cause/408/summer-jobs-for-youth, give the application permissions (you’ll only have to do this once), then click on the “Vote” button to show your support for our "Summer Jobs for Youth" program. The voting phase is open now until April 22 and you can vote up to 10 times per day EVERYDAY for our cause. Winner announcements are April 29. Please forward this to your colleagues, friends and family to vote and help spread the word on Facebook. Thanks in advance for your support! AmeriCorps Food Acess Coordinator: Kim Rustem Congratulations to our Food Access Coordinator, Kim Rustem, for being named Michigan's AmeriCorps Site Access Coordinator Click here for a link to the article describing her projects at NorthWest Initiative. Seeking Community Gardeners Ever wanted to grow your own food and simply don’t have the land space? The Food Systems Project coordinates three community gardens and is seeking individuals interested in growing their own plot. FSP can provide the plants and land, you just have to show up, keep your plot weeded and watered and bear the fruit of harvest. So if you want to save money, eat healthy, connect with nature and get some exercise, contact Kim Rustem at 999-2894; or Kimnwlansing@gmail.com. FREE Supplemental Food for Low Income Families NorthWest Initiative holds a free twice a month supplemental food distribution program (fresh vegetables, fruits, dairy, eggs from the Food Bank, and whole-grain bread courtesy of Panera Bread) for low income Lansing residents living in the 48906, 48915, and 48933 zip codes. Residents must register and show identification to participate. The food distribution occurs every 1st and 3rdThursday, from 12:00 Noon to 2:00 pm at the First Prebyterian Church 510 West Ottawa St. (corner of Ottawa and Pine), Lansing, MI 48933. Please do not arrive before 11:00 am Public parking is available in the church parking lot. . AN AMAZING JOURNEY ARRO Strives to provide tools for a smooth productive re-entry of ex-offenders in the community. Successful transition means overcoming many hurdles. Basic needs such as birth certificate, drivers license, Michigan Identifications, clothing and food are vital for success in obtaining housing and employment. ARRO assist ex-offenders and their families in the re-entering the community process Housing offers it challenges. Money and prejudice prevent many of our folks from obtaining safe and stable housing. In 2006 a four unit apartment building was turned into short term housing for ex-offenders. The neighborhood at first was slow to embrace this new community. Meetings with community members and other interested folks provided constructive and instructive dialogue. Since beginning this community dialogue and listening and responding to the instructive conversation, there have been no major incidents and the surrounding home owners have developed a productive relationship. Employment also offers challenges, as many employers reject applications that indicate a felon. ARRO is working on the “Ban the Box” initiative that would remove the felon box from the initial application process and hopefully allow the employer to judge the applicant on the merit of his/her skills. ARRO also facilitate in the job search process, helping with completion of the GED, resumes workshops, connecting folk with jobs and job skill training. NWI Developing a “Village” Program for Senior Citizens NorthWest Initiative in partnership with AARP of Michigan and other local partners are in the process of developing a Village Program specifically designed to help senior citizens age in community and help them to stay in their homes as long as possible. The planning committee is in need of more senior citizen input into the development of this program. Initially, the Village Program will be for residents of northwest Lansing. The Planning committe meets on the second Wednesday of each month, at the NWI office. If you would like to join the committee, please call Danyel at 999-2894 or email northwest.lansing@gmail.com. Do You Need Health Coverage, Emergency Food, Adult Dental Care, or Other Assistance? The NorthWest Initiative’s Outreach Program is here to help you sign up for a variety of programs and services to assist you and your family. We can help you sign up for the Ingham Health Plan, MIChild, Healthy Kids, Plan First, Medicaid, food stamps, SafeLink cell phones, and much more. We also offer additional services for those who are returning to Ingham County from a correctional facility (non-PR). Visit our Outreach Program at 530 W. Ionia St., Suite D, Lansing, MI 48933 (Monday-Friday—10am-3pm), or call our ARRO Program at 517-999-2894 to schedule an appointment. Ingham County’s Adult Dental Clinic is open for income eligible residents, call 517-887-4423 or 517-887-4609 to schedule an appointment. The Michigan Fair Chance Coalition ARRO has diligently been working over the past few months on our advocating program funded by the SDOP. ARRO has formed other programs associated under it: FC Services, Fair Chance Coalition, and Choices. ARRO is truly a one stop shop. Some of the other services that we provide are assistance with clothing referrals, bike vouchers, reduced bus passes, resume and employment referrals, and if available, job placement assistance. We want to “ban the box” on employment applications that ask questions like: Have you ever been convicted of a crime (felony or misdemeanor)? Passing legislation will help taxpayers, communities and families by giving individuals with past convictions a chance to become self-supporting. Communities are safer and stronger when individuals with prior convictions are able to find jobs, housing and be able to support their families. If you would like to join us in our efforts contact Monica at 517-999-2895 or e-mail bantheboxin2012@gmail.com. Donations are kindly welcomed. Checks should be made out to Northwest Initiative and mailed to: 530 W. Ionia Street, Suite D, Lansing, MI 48933, please put ARRO in the memo line. Help Support the Programs of NorthWest Initiative As we near the end of 2012, have you considered making a tax- deductible donation to NorthWest Initiative? We are always in need of unrestricted funds to purchase needed items that our grants do not cover, such as garden tools, seeds, clear plastic bags and food preparation gloves for our weekly free bread and food distribution, food for the children’s weekend survival backpack program, signs and marketing for the Westside Farmer’s Market, Grand Happenings bi-monthly newsletter, used furniture and office equipment. All donations help to support the ongoing programs and services of the organization. No amounts are too small and we certainly welcome larger donations too! Make checks payable to NorthWest Initiative and mail to 530 W. Ionia St., Suite D, Lansing, MI 48933. We thank you for your support of our organization! Would You Like to Receive the NWI Newsletter Electronically? To help decrease our mailing costs, we are giving you the option to receive an electronic copy of the of the Grand Happenings newsletter instead of a paper copy, please email peggy@nwlansing.org. |
| Share your Ideas Are you interested in what this community is doing to improve the area and want to help the people living and working in the Northwest Lansing area? Spare some time for a good cause, come and share some of your ideas with us! Our agency is fuelled by the support and ideas of prominent community leaders like you! (Contact info below) |
| Donate It feels good to give and it helps your community. Every effort is appreciated and together we can make a difference and have fun while doing it! You can even specify which programs you would like to fund! (Contact info below) |
| Volunteer We are always looking for volunteers to work in our office, school gardens, and to help with projects like flower planters, events, advocacy and more! Giving your time for a good cause is a rewarding experience! (Contact info below) |
| Intern We are always looking for student interns to work in a wide variety of settings, with skills ranging from human services and social work to computer technology. NWI is a great place to gain some experience and to begin your career! (Contact info below) |
After School Garden Club Ages 5-12 When: Monday - 4-5 pm Where: Letts Community Center When: Wednesday 4-5 pm Where: Gier Community Center When: Tuesday & Thursday Time: 3:15-4:30 pm Where: Willow Elementary NAMI Support Group (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Thursdays; 7 - 8:30 pm 530 W. Ionia St., 48933 NWI Youth Programs Saturdays; 10 am-1 pm Letts Community Center For more information on any of the above programs, call Peggy @ 999-2894 |
| Food Resources |
| Weekly Programs |
| Lets Garden Lansing! A group of community partners have come together to provide a calendar listing of gardening education events and workshops throughout the Lansing area. For more information, visit www.letsgardenlansing.org . Stay Connected with Nixle! The City of Lansing has launched a new Community Information Service designed to deliver important and timely information to residents in our area using the latest technology. Stay connected to your community, from the public safety and traffic alerts that are relevant to you, to the important neighborhood advisories you want to know about, as well as, other valuable community information. Register now and learn more at www.nixle.com |
| Contact Us! If you would like to learn more about becoming a partner, sponsor, volunteer or intern; contact Peggy at 517-999-2894; peggy@nwlansing.org |
