Open Roads Offers Much More Than Bikes

A bicycle can give a child freedom, independence and a sense of empowerment. At Open Roads Bike Program, participants get all of that and more as they acquire the tools to navigate both their neighborhoods and their lives. “When we can help them earn a bike and lock, they’re like, ‘Whoa, game changer,’” said Erin…

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Advocacy Academy is More Than a Resume Builder

A first job is a big milestone in life. For a person with a disability, it can be loaded with barriers. Advocacy Academy, an 8-week paid summer internship program through Disability Network Southwest Michigan, offers people a way to gain employment skills and minimize those barriers. They learn by planning and implementing a disability advocacy…

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Education and Employment Go Hand In Hand At Y.O.U.

There’s a common misconception that today’s teenagers aren’t interested in jobs, said Karen Carlisle, Director of Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) in Kalamazoo. The hundreds of applications that flood Y.O.U’s MyCITY summer youth employment program each year, however, tell a different story. “So often, we hear today that young people just don’t want to work,” Carlisle…

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Keeping Kids Warm

During its annual three-day distribution event last month, Charitable Union gave away more than 1,300 children’s coats to Battle Creek families in need of winter gear. That’s a lot of warm kids. But not nearly enough. Teresa Allen, Executive Director at Charitable Union, said they were forced to turn roughly 80 kids away from the…

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