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LEO awards over $1M to Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency to provide housing, job training and beyond
December 05, 2023
MI Impact Grant supports nonprofits to help more Michiganders make ends meet
Northeast, Mich.—Today, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) announced over $1 million of the $15 million statewide MI Impact Grant program was awarded to Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency (NEMCSA). The grant, made available to Michigan’s large nonprofits who provide programming to lift people out of poverty, will allow the nonprofit to expand services for housing, utility, transportation and job training.
“No one should have to choose between paying rent and putting food on the table for their families,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “The MI Impact Grant will provide several of Michigan’s largest nonprofits with the resources they need to continue making a meaningful and tangible impact in their communities. We remain committed to uplifting individuals living in poverty and ensure every Michigander has access to the support they need to ‘make it’ in Michigan.”
NEMCSA was among 10 large nonprofits receiving one-time grant funds of up to $2 million to create or expand programming that lifts Michiganders out of poverty. The grant program prioritized partnerships with larger nonprofits that share the state’s commitment to providing services that help lift Michigan residents out of poverty and above the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) threshold.
“These funds will allow 10 large nonprofits to uplift the communities they serve and strengthen Michigan’s nonprofit ecosystem,” said LEO Director Susan Corbin. “We are proud to deliver on our mission to close equity gaps and remove barriers to economic prosperity.”
NEMCSA provides programs that aid low-income and otherwise disadvantaged individuals of all ages in northeast Michigan. With the MI Impact Grant, NEMCSA will expand its services and have mentors assist those in need with housing, utility, transportation and job training services.
“These funds are going to play a major role in expanding Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency’s services and programs that aid the poor and otherwise disadvantaged,” said Lisa Bolen, NEMCSA executive director and CEO. “We are excited to help more residents, of all ages, across Northeast Michigan remove everyday barriers they face.”
The MI Impact Grant program, aimed at addressing disparities that affect Michiganders’ abilities to afford necessities such as housing, child care, food, health care and transportation, plans to lift 100,000 families out of working poverty during the next five years. The funding is supported through the American Rescue Plan Act, Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds with a goal to build a strong, resilient and equitable recovery by making investments that support long-term growth and opportunity. $50 million in funding will be provided to support nonprofits who have been negatively impacted due to the pandemic. The funding will be distributed through two separate programs, with a $35 million relief fund made available to smaller nonprofits earlier this year. Nonprofits were eligible to receive either the MI Nonprofit Relief Fund or the MI Impact Grant, not both.
The grant also supports the recommendations of the Michigan Poverty Task Force, whose goal is to address the disparities that affect Michiganders’ abilities to afford necessities. To learn more about their work and view a full list of grant awardees, visit the Michigan Poverty Task Force’s nonprofit webpage.
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