Jubilee Jobs, Grand Rapids

Jubilee Jobs serves Christ by empowering struggling individuals to find and keep meaningful employment.  This grant helped expand their ministry to core-city families by providing academic skill development, work experiences and career exploration to both the parents and their teenage children.  The ministry’s integration of a “family wellness” curriculum for developing family skills and healthy relationships provides a job-retention strategy because relationship issues are among the top factors that contribute to people losing their jobs.

Roosevelt Park Ministries, Grand Rapids

Roosevelt Park Ministries is a Christian community development organization located on the southwest side of Grand Rapids.  The mission of the organization is to provide holistic support for families, individuals and youth living in this predominately low-income, Hispanic and African-American community.   Some of the programs they provide are:  Academic Tutoring, English as a Second Language Instruction, Free Income Tax Service, Indigenous Leadership Development, Job Referral Service, Parenting Class, Counseling Services, Food Pantry Program, and Youth Outreach Program.  The grant was specifically to underwrite a portion of the Neighborhood Youth Program Director position.  This person leads youth activities and small groups, builds mentoring relationships and, and assists youth develop strong leadership skills. 

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is Michigan's largest botanical garden and conservatory with a five-story glass enclosure housing exotic plants from around the world. There are many areas within Meijer Gardens to explore including the indoor gardens such as the tropical conservatory, Victorian, carnivorous, and arid gardens, as well as the outdoor areas like the Children's Garden, Michigan's Farm Garden, seasonal gardens.  This grant was for the Art & Science of Observation program designed especially for Grand Rapids Public School fourth grade students.  The three main objectives of the program are (1) to offer innovative programming to an underserved audience (2) to sharpen each student's critical thinking through observation and sketching and (3) to supply teachers with interactive art and science curriculum.  In 2008, more than 1,230 fourth grade students and 220 teachers and chaperones from all forty Grand Rapids Public elementary schools participated in this program.

http://www.meijergardens.org/