In this episode, host Janet Zahn welcomes Veronica Horsley-Pettigrew, Community Outreach and Marketing Supervisor with Care Resources PACE.

Care Resources is a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).

‘PACE ‘is a Medicare and Medicaid-funded option that gives community-based care and services to people 55 years or older, helping to prevent nursing home placement.

PACE provides coverage for prescription drugs, doctor visits, transportation, home care, checkups, hospital visits, and nursing home stays when necessary.

PACE has been around for over 50 years, but unfortunately remains a well-kept secret.

ONLINE: Care Resources PACE⁠

In this episode, we welcome Steff Rosalez, CEO, Grandville Avenue for the Arts and Humanities.

Steff is an artist and musician who started working at GAAH in 2011 because of her passion for the arts and community. In her spare time, Steff fronts the band, How to Live Together.

What we learned in this episode:

• Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities operates two main facilities on the southwest side of Grand Rapids: The Cook Arts Center and the Cook Library Center.
• They offer several programs, including various opportunities for all ages.
• At GAAH, they use three main strategies to bring your mission to life: Care & Belonging, Discovery & Advocacy. Discuss.

• GAAH seeks to build environments of curiosity and creativity with its neighbors (especially youth) to cultivate inclusion, justice, care, and belonging.
• GAAH is concluding its FALL 2025 Session.

• All GAAH programming, from hip-hop classes to algebra tutoring, is provided free of charge to their neighbors.
• Donations support thousands of visits to the Cook Library Center, hundreds of students taking classes at Cook Arts Center, and dozens of teens gaining leadership experience.

Online: ⁠Grandville Avenue for the Arts and Humanities ⁠

In this episode, we are happy to welcome Michele Suchovsky, Chief Executive Officer of Paws With a Cause (PAWS).

Michelle’s been leading PAWS since 2018.

Under her leadership, PAWS completed a $10 million capital campaign to renovate its campus, expanding its ability to serve clients and communities.

She also launched the Animal Assisted Services department, formerly known as Purposeful Placements, developing PAWS facility dog and visiting PAWS programs.

PAWS Mission is to transform lives and strengthen communities through partnerships with custom-trained working dogs.

More Online: Paws With A Cause (PAWS)

In this episode, WYCE Station Manager Phil Tower welcomes Dana Kroll, Uptown Marketing and Communications Specialist, and Mitch Ermatinger, President of the Wealthy Street Business Alliance, owner of Speciation Cellars.

Uptown GR brings people, partnerships, and possibilities together to sustain a strong and vibrant urban district.

Both Mitch and Dana reminded us that Uptown GR’s 28th annual Shop Hop is Thursday, December 4!

Uptown Shop Hop is one evening only; Uptown businesses offer an extra festive holiday shopping experience starting at 3 pm.

Uptown GR’s 28th annual Shop Hop includes free trolley rides between districts, streetside entertainment, and much more.

Learn more: Uptown Grand Rapids

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In this episode, WYCE Station Manager Phil Tower welcomes Elizabeth Bovard Strong, the Founder and President of Construction Allies in Action (CAIA).

Elizabeth was the first female Executive Vice President of the Builders Exchange of Michigan.

Construction Allies in Action is a local nonprofit organization committed to building a more inclusive, transparent, and equitable construction industry.

Through strategic partnerships, they empower underrepresented contractors by providing business education, project opportunities, and direct access to critical resources.

Construction Allies in Action empowers industry leaders to drive generational change by fostering transparency, accountability, and real opportunity in the construction field.

With the support of our Construction Allies, Community Partners, and many volunteers and supporters, we create free and low-cost programming that equips underrepresented contractors with the tools, knowledge, and connections they need to build sustainable, thriving businesses.

Become a Construction Ally--Become a Community Partner--Share a Project Opportunity--Find Your Next Go-To Contractor.

More: Construction Allies in Action

In this episode, host Janet Zahn welcomes Dr. Wendy Falb, Ph.D., the Executive Director of the Literacy Center of West Michigan.

The Literacy Center of West Michigan was founded in 1986 by educators and librarians, and today is the largest community-based organization in Michigan… and one of the largest in the country dedicated solely to adult literacy and learning.

The Literacy Center works locally to remove literacy as a barrier to employment, healthcare, housing, and parent engagement. Its mission is to bring about a just and vibrant West Michigan through the power of literacy.

Literacy by the numbers:

--The Literacy Center serves nearly 1,300 learners annually.

--85,000 adults read below the 4th grade level in Kent County.

--7,500 classroom instructional hours taught by certified staff.

--More than 8,000 hours contributed by volunteer literacy coaches in 1-on-1 tutoring.

Online: Literacy of West Michigan

In this episode, we speak with Hannah Berry, Executive Director of Lions and Rabbits Center for the Arts.

Lions & Rabbits fosters creative community development through strategy, transformative placemaking, and workforce development.

Much of their work in the West Michigan area is focused on Public Health…using art as a powerful tool for promoting physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Their initiatives aim to create environments that inspire healthy behaviors and foster a sense of belonging.

Lions & Rabbits environmental health projects celebrate the interconnectedness of human and ecological health. Through creative interventions, we raise awareness about environmental challenges and inspire stewardship of our shared spaces.

Their goal is to create opportunities for all residents to thrive, and by fostering collaborations and systems thinking to address the root causes of complex community challenges.

Learn more about Lions and Rabbits Center for the Arts.

In this week's episode, we welcome George Bayaard, Executive Director, with The Grand Rapids African American Museum & Archives.

The Grand Rapids African American Museum & Archives’ mission is to collect and retell the rich, colorful stories that compose the historic African American tapestry of living in Grand Rapids.

George Bayaard joined us on the program to speak about the big move for GRAAMA to a new location full of immense potential for the organization.

The Grand Rapids African American Museum & Archives (GRAAMA)is moving to 41 Sheldon Avenue SE in downtown Grand Rapids, which will serve as the organization's permanent home.

Their new 30,000-square-foot space will be a major upgrade from the museum's former 2,000-square-foot building on Monroe Center.

Bayaard encouraged community members to get involved by contributing to the project or serving as a volunteer.

ONLINE: Grand Rapids African American Museum & Archives