MCSC - 2012 MLK Day Mini-Grants Fund Service Projects Across Michigan

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2012 MLK Day Mini-Grants Fund Service Projects Across Michigan

The Michigan Community Service Commission, League Michigan, Michigan Nonprofit Association, Michigan Campus Compact, Sara A. Ballard Volunteerism Fund and Volunteer Centers of Michigan announced today the distribution of $15,500 in mini-grant funds to support 2012 Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Day of Service projects across the state in January.

Twenty-nine organizations from across Michigan received the funds to coordinate service projects that tackle critical challenges in their communities; including education, supporting veterans and military families, health, environmental stewardship, disaster preparedness, and public safety. Grants range in value from $250 to $850.

"Although small amounts, these funds will support critical components of 29 MLK Day service projects in Michigan," said Kyle Caldwell, President and CEO of Michigan Nonprofit Association. "Now these organizations can afford the necessary supplies and resources to implement projects that will make a difference in their communities."

The annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was initiated by Congress in 1994 and has been developed beyond a federal holiday honoring Dr. King into a national day of community service. In honor of this special day, thousands of service projects will take place across the country grounded in Dr. King's teachings of nonviolence and social justice. The 2012 MLK Day occurs on Monday, January 16.

"We encourage everyone to find a way to serve in honor of the 2012 MLK Day," said Paula Kaiser VanDam, Executive Director of the Michigan Community Service Commission. "Several of our mini-grant recipients are currently seeking volunteers. If you're interested in serving, visit www.mlkday.gov to search for opportunities in your area."

The 2012 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service mini-grant funds were made possible thanks to generous support from the ConnectMichigan Alliance Endowment and the Sara A. Ballard Volunteerism Fund. The Michigan Community Service Commission, the League Michigan, Michigan Campus Compact, Michigan Nonprofit Association, and Volunteer Centers of Michigan are committed to supporting volunteers on national days of service and work collaboratively to program this and other statewide service events.

Thanks to these mini-grants, thousands of Michigan citizens will be engaged as volunteers this January.

Mini-grants were awarded to the following organizations:

City	Organization	Mini-Grant Amount	Project Details
Ann Arbor	City of Ann Arbor Natural Preservation Area	$250	A workday will be held on Monday, January 16, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. to help remove invasive shrubs at Bluffs Nature Area.
Battle Creek	HandsOn Battle Creek	$500	Volunteers will be engaged in projects at community schools on Thursday, January 12, and Friday, January 13, that include reading to kindergarteners, preparing lunches for the homeless, and educating students on the dangers of bullying.
Benton Harbor	Lake Michigan College	$500	On Friday, January 13, volunteers will package rice and beans with spices and recipes for needy families to assist with healthy and inexpensive eating.
Dearborn	ACCESS: Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services	$626.68	This project will bring individuals from multiple faiths together for a day of service as they provide food, clothing, and public health information to the Detroit area homeless on Sunday, January 15, and Monday, January 16.
Detroit	Art Corps Detroit	250	Volunteers will gather on Monday, January 16, to clean up a Detroit area shelter, as well as to collect and deliver canned food goods.
Detroit	Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Detroit	499.43	This project will join together many area partners to perform multiple service projects on Monday, January 16. These include: beautifying local schools and community centers, sorting donated clothing for distribution to needy families; and the sorting and distribution of donated books to K-12 children.
Detroit	Delsprite Club of Delta Sigma Theta	$500	Volunteers will host a birthday party on Monday, January 16, for children living in a homeless shelter.
Detroit	MACK ALIVE	$500	Throughout the week of January 9-16, volunteers will participate in a variety of activities at the local Veterans Affairs office, including delivering warm clothing to homeless veterans. They will also host a fitness challenge to combat obesity.
Detroit	Restaurant Opportunities Center of Michigan	$250	Volunteers will make physical improvements to the interior of COLORS, a restaurant and food training center which provides professional development to low-wage workers, on Monday, January 16.
Detroit	Wayne State University - Dean of Students Office	$850	Detroit community members will volunteer at five service projects on Monday, January 16, that support veterans and military personnel, emergency preparedness, local foods banks and area community centers.
Felch	North Dickinson County School	$250	On Monday, January 16, local youth will host a discussion on the concepts of MLK's legacy while promoting reading and learning.
Flint	Academy of Flint	$250	Middle school youth volunteers will create a blanket on Monday, January 16, that will be given with a book to displaced youth living in Flint shelters.
Flint	Baker College	$500	Students will read books to hospitalized children at area hospitals on Monday, January 16.
Grand Rapids	Heart of West Michigan United Way Next Generation	$850	On Monday, January 16, multiple projects will engage young volunteers as they renovate a high school library.
Grand Rapids	West Michigan American Red Cross	$850	Volunteers will teach local families about disaster preparedness on Monday, January 16, and participate in a service project for victims of the Haiti earthquake.
Hamtramck	Friendship House	$418	On Monday, January 16, volunteers will create 500 snack kits and healthy eating guides for distribution at the Friendship House.
Hastings	Barry County United Way and Volunteer Center	$250	Volunteers will gather on Monday, January 16, to assemble the personal care items collected for local food/clothing pantries and domestic violence shelters.
Howard City	Tri County High School National Honor Society	$626.68	National Honor Society students will plan and facilitate workshops to be held on Monday, January 16, which will improve school climate, increase student success, and introduce service opportunities to the school.
Ionia	Ionia Peace Community	$850	Volunteers will participate in events at local schools and libraries on Monday, January 16, as they read books to children that complement the MLK Day ideals.
Kalamazoo	City of Kalamazoo	$500	On Monday, January 16, volunteers will engage in a variety of area projects that benefit 20 nonprofits as they improve neighborhood safety, build capacity, and engage community members in a city-wide day of service.
Lansing	Allen Neighborhood Center	$850	The project will take place on Monday, January 16, and has two main aspects; building wood bins to house worm-composting systems and erecting a small passive-solar hoop house that will insulate the worms. Neighborhood youth will also participate by creating decorations and educational signage for the bins.
Redford	Ways to Family Self-Sufficiency, Inc.	$850	Volunteers will provide homeless veterans with a hot meal, clothing, hygiene products, and information on services on Monday, January 16.
Saginaw	YMCA of Saginaw	$850	Youth volunteers will gather on Monday, January 16 to facilitate recreational activities for residents of the local veterans center and nursing home, as well as to perform park maintenance at Hoyt Park.
Sault Ste. Marie	United Way of the Easter Upper Peninsula	$500	Youth will compile emergency preparedness kits in the weeks before MLK Day. They will be distributed to area seniors at a disaster preparedness training on Monday, January 16.
Traverse City	SEEDS	$279.50	Volunteers will make draft guards to increase heating efficiency throughout January and distribute the guards to local residents on Monday, January 16.
Traverse City	United Way of Northwest Michigan	$499.70	On Friday, January 13, volunteers will read books about the life of Dr. King to area school children.
Warren	Davenport University	$500	Davenport University students will volunteer on Monday, January 16, at five service projects in Detroit that support veterans and military personnel, emergency preparedness, local foods banks and area community centers.
West Bloomfield	Temple Shir Shalom	$850	On Sunday, January 15, volunteers will serve meals at the Ronald McDonald House and I Am My Brother's Keeper Ministries, as well as pack healthy snacks at the Gleaners Food Bank.
Ypsilanti	Growing Hope	$250	Volunteers will construct raised bed kits for community members to install in their homes on Monday, January 16.
		TOTAL: $15,499.50

Additional information about the 2012 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service can be found at www.michigan.gov/mcsc or www.mlkday.gov.

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BACKGROUND:

The Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC) builds a culture of service by providing vision and resources to strengthen communities through volunteerism. In 2011-2012, the MCSC is granting nearly $8 million in federal funds to local communities for volunteer programs and activities. The MCSC is funding 24 AmeriCorps programs, 20 Learn and Serve programs, and seven Volunteer Michigan grantees. The Governor's Service Awards and Mentor Michigan are also premier programs of the MCSC. The MCSC is housed in the Michigan Department of Human Services, whose mission is to assist children, families, and vulnerable adults to be safe, stable, and self-supporting. The Corporation for National and Community Service grants the federal funding the MCSC administers.

Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA) serves nonprofits to advance their missions. With more than 800 members, MNA serves as a statewide network for the sector, a resource center on effective management practices, and as an advocate for the nonprofit community. For more information, visit www.MNAonline.org.

Michigan Campus Compact promotes the education and commitment of Michigan college and university students to be civically engaged citizens, through creating and expanding academic, co-curricular and campus-wide opportunities for community service, service-learning and civic engagement. For more information, please visit www.micampuscompact.org.

The LEAGUE Michigan is a program for service, service-learning and philanthropy education that builds character and empowers young people to "do good" in their community, the nation and the world. For more information, visit www.mnaonline.org/league.aspx.

The Volunteer Centers of Michigan strengthens, develops and connects Volunteer Centers throughout the state. Our goal is to ensure that all volunteer centers have the capacity to positively impact every Michigan community and their citizens through volunteerism. We believe that volunteer centers play a leadership role in mobilizing people and resources to deliver creative solutions to community problems. For more information, visit www.mivolunteers.org.


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