Community Corner
ACCESS Receives MLK Day Mini-Grant
The $626.68 grant will help fund a service day project for local volunteers.
It's not much, but it's enough to help some local volunteers give back.
Dearborn nonprofit community center and service organization was one of 29 groups across the state of Michigan to receive a mini-grant to help fund a local service project on the 2012 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, held Jan. 16 across the nation.
The grants, announced this week, are a collaborative effort of the Michigan Community Service Commission, League Michigan, Michigan Nonprofit Association, Michigan Campus Compact, Sara A. Ballard Volunteerism Fund and Volunteer Centers of Michigan.
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The mini-grants total $15,500 in $250-$850 values, and will help organizations across the state host local service projects, including educational opportunities, supporting the homeless, health, environmental stewardship, disaster preparedness, and public safety.
ACCESS' grant totals $626.68 and will fund an interfaith two-day service project that consists of providing food, clothing and public health information to Detroit-area homeless on Jan. 15 and 16.
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The funds provided, although small, are hoped to help pave the way for big efforts in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Flint, Grand Rapids, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Lansing and beyond.
"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, Jan. 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."
Visit www.mlkday.gov to search for volunteer opportunities.
