Food pantry focuses on immigrants
Hamtramck’s Friendship House focuses on providing trauma-informed care for people in need of food assistance that reflects the diverse, ever-changing population of the city around them.
Amy Kuras's Latest Articles
Nonprofit Relief Fund awards announced: Small nonprofits are big winners this time around
More than 2,000 applicants vied for grants from the Nonprofit Relief Fund, created to provide post-pandemic support to small nonprofits. Award announcements were made in early October. Grantees are able to use the unrestricted funding where it's needed most.
Funding collaboratives address deeper community problems
In Michigan, funding collaboratives are increasingly being employed to bring combined expertise from several funders together to tackle complex problems. Read about how the Michigan Justice Fund, Pontiac Funders Collaborative, and Community Foundation of St. Clair are forging change through untraditional funding models.
Trucks, ports and pollution in Southwest Detroit
Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision engages residents to organize and act on environmental issues in their neighborhood. Some of its most significant work is around air quality, stormwater management, and truck traffic.
Rest and recharge: Creative solutions to tackling nonprofit burnout
Burnout among nonprofit leaders is real. This story looks at approaches foundations and nonprofits are taking to create paths for executives to step aside, get some much-needed time away, and re-center themselves for the important but demanding work they do every day.
Engaging people typically left out of the public decision-making process
The long and patient road toward social justice involves listening to community members. The Interfaith Council for Peace & Justice engages people in conversations and actions, giving voice to those impacted by public policy and decision making who typically don’t have a seat at the table.
Finally, support for small nonprofits that kept communities together during the pandemic
Michigan Nonprofit Association and the Michigan Department of Labor and Opportunity are overseeing a grant program for small Michigan nonprofits that are struggling post-pandemic.
Supportive and safe housing for LGBTQ youth
Amy Kuras spoke with Mark Erwin of Ruth Ellis Center about the recent opening of Detroit's first housing center dedicated to LGBTQ youth. The Clairmount Center also has wraparound services, including health care and employment support, co-located on the premises, to remove common barriers to access for this population.
New immersive exhibit: Detroit to bathe in the golden glow of Gustav Klimt’s work
Hot off the heels of the popular immersive Vincent Van Gogh exhibit, Detroit will host an elaborate Gustav Klimt show in September and October. Music and animation will be used to augment projected displays to bring the viewer into the artist's world of water lilies, vibrant blooms, mermaids, and (of course) his famous golden phase that produced "The Kiss".
Teachers have some of the toughest jobs. How can we better support them in Detroit?
Teachers have some of the most difficult, least appreciated jobs in the country. And while they're certainly underpaid, there's a number of other ways the city of Detroit, the school system, and the community can better support its teachers.
