Creston Neighborhood News

Learn of helpful community resources available to YOU:

No Rapid Bus Service on Upcoming Holidays
There will be no bus service on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, or New Year's Day.

RAPID Early Childhood Community Profile
RAPID is an ongoing national survey of households with children ages birth-5, designed to gather essential information on the needs, health promoting behaviors, and well-being of children and their families. First Steps Kent partnered with the RAPID team at Stanford University to bring the survey to Kent County, asking parents of young children about what they are experiencing and to better understand how they can serve families in our community. They completed 3 surveys in Kent County and share this community profile that highlights some findings from the first two surveys. There will be a presentation of the results via webinar on Friday, December 9th at 1:00 p.m. (more info below)

Grand Rapids Awarded Lead Hazard Funding
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services awarded more than $7 million in community grants to expand residential lead hazard control services to eligible households with a Medicaid-enrolled resident, with Grand Rapids receiving $700,000. Services available for funding under this initiative include: Lead inspection, risk assessment and/or elevated blood lead investigation activities to determine the presence of lead hazards, permanent removal, enclosure or encapsulation of lead-based paint and lead dust hazards for eligible residences, and more. See the press release here and learn more about Grand Rapids remediation services here.

MPSC Launches Utility Assistance Webpage
The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) unveiled its new energy assistance webpage designed to bring together, in one place, information and links to ways Michigan energy utility and telecommunications customers can find financial assistance to help them keep the lights and heat on and stay connected. See the site here or learn more here.

Two Digital Access Surveys (Please take both!)
Both Kent County and the State of Michigan are looking for input from the community regarding digital access and digital literacy services. The Kent County survey is for all residents and is focused on identifying gaps in digital access for the county to address. Fill out the county survey here. The state survey is for organizations that provide digital literacy services. Fill out the state survey here

Community Food Distributions

Dates and times of food distributions for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) can be found here.

Upcoming Events

Urban Institute: Life Near the Highway: Examining Environmental Justice and Equity in Land Use and Transportation Planning - Wednesday, November 16th: 3:00-4:00 p.m. - Life near highways—while convenient from a transportation perspective—has a major downside: constant exposure to air and noise pollution produced by cars, trucks, and motorcycles. During this event, we will discuss local, state, and federal policies and monitoring practices that could help ensure a safer, healthier, and more equitable future of transportation. Learn more and register here.
Access of West Michigan: What's New in Good Food? A panel discussion about the Good Food Charter - Thursday, December 1st: 6:30-8:00 p.m. - The Michigan Good Food Charter is a roadmap for a food system that is rooted in local communities and centered on good food. Join Access of West Michigan's Good Food team as we learn from local food experts on how recent changes to the charter will impact our local food system. Learn more and register here.
Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan: Community Organizing for Family Issues - Tuesdays, December 6-January 31: 6:00-8:00 p.m. - COFI is a 6-week program, designed for family leaders (parents, grandparents, etc.) to learn how to come together as a group to solve problems and implement positive changes in the community. This training organizes neighborhood teams to take action on issues they identify as important to improving life outcomes for their families. See the flyer here and register here.
First Steps Kent: RAPID Survey Presentation - Friday, December 9th: 1:00-2:00 p.m. - RAPID is an ongoing national survey of households with children ages birth-5, designed to gather essential information on the needs, health promoting behaviors, and well-being of children and their families. First Steps Kent is debriefing the information collected so far in Kent County in 2022. The team from Stanford University will be leading the presentation. Register here.
Grand Rapids Community College: Implicit Bias Training for Supervisors and Managers - Wednesday, February 22 and March 1: 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - We are living in a very stressful and polarizing time. As much as we might like to separate ‘outside life’ from workspaces, this is no longer a realistic expectation. Supervisors and Managers are tasked with navigating difficult situations that result often result from implicit bias, cultural conditioning, and participates social location. Learn more and register here.

Be Informed. Get Connected. Share Your Voice.

Creston Neighborhood News
November 17, 2022

Looking for a fun way to make new connections, meet neighbors, and give back this holiday season? Look no further -
Sign up to VOLUNTEER at the LIGHTS ON CRESTON Holiday Event

This week, the Living Green in Creston committee was joined by a special guest who's helping to make Grand Rapids more sustainable and equitable.

Thanks to the support of Black Cat Bodega, CNA continues to serve the Creston Neighborhood through resources, events, community building, & more!

REMINDER:

Last Wednesday, the city held a groundbreaking ceremony for improvements to the historic building at Veterans Memorial Park (22 Sheldon Ave. NE).

Our Community Partners support the Creston neighborhood every day! If your business is interested in becoming a community partner to support the Creston neighborhood, please contact us!