Thank you to everyone who attended the Power of We Meeting last week on November 21. Always a joy to see and hear from all of you. Highlights from this last meeting include:

Presentations

We had a presentation featuring I’ll Be Your Rock LGBTQ+ Youth Support Groups. Christine Terpening shared her story of why she founded a support group in her hometown of Vermontville and Cathy Fisher share about the Eastern Ingham County Chapter. 

• Watch a recording of the presentation.
• Contact Christine at: christineterpening01@gmail.com. Contact Cathy at: czfisher1@gmail.com.

Updates

MI Capital Cares

There’s a new way to find the health and human services you need: micapitalcares.org. This new resource directory makes it easier to find the services you need in the capital region! micapitalcares.org is a central hub for all existing resource directories, program listings, and events in Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham counties.

Community Information Exchange

Are you interested in learning about a potential solution to ease the burden on frontline workers, improve the referral process, and make it easier for residents to connect with the services they need? You’re invited to attend a virtual platform demonstration on January 15th at 1:00 PM for a Community Information Exchange (CIE) platform recommended by Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham agency leaders. REGISTER NOW to save your spot for the FindHelp platform demo! Come learn about what the FindHelp platform has to offer and provide input on how this platform could work for you! For more information about CIEs and how this platform was recommended for the region, please see the flyer attached below. Share this invite with your network! All health and human service workers in Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham counties are welcome.

Shared Files

MI Capital Cares Promotional Flyer

CIE Advisory Council Platform Recommendation

DNCAP Consumer Thanksgiving

Next Meeting

No meeting in December. Next meeting will be January 16, 2-4 p.m.

Presentations

We had a presentations from Resolution Services Center, IRRC and the Ingham County Controllers Office. 

Resolution Services Center Central Michigan: Presenting was Executive Director Yarden Blumstein and Ethan Campbell, Mediation Manager.

• Did you know that Resolution Services Center of Central Michigan (RSCCM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and one of sixteen community
• dispute resolution centers in Michigan. RSCCM relies heavily on volunteers like attorneys and other skilled professionals to mediate disputes. 
• Read through the Presentation Slides to learn more. 

Immigrant & Refugee Resource Collaborative: Presenting was Director Shirin Kambin. 

• IRRC is hosting a Summer Community Read along with multiple community partners. They chose the titles with the idea in mind that they should be Joyful and help Unite Us. The Summer Community Read is under way now with events planned for the fall including the author visiting in Mid-October.
• Teen & Adult Title: The Immigrant Advantage: What We Can Learn from Newcomers to America about Health, Happiness, and Hope by Claudia Kolker
• Children’s Title:  In Our Garden by Pat Zietlow Miller
• Download the Community Read Flier or visit the IRRC website for more information. 

Ingham County Community Agency Grant: Presenting Jared Cypher, Ingham County Deputy Controller.

Since 1978, the Ingham County Board of Commissioners has provided financial support to various non-profit community organizations that provide a broad range of services for the purpose of advancing the County’s adopted long range objectives. Over the years the community agency process has grown to 50 applicants requesting funding with total requests of approximately $315,000 annually.

Due date: Applications for 2026 must be postmarked by Thursday, July 31st, 2025, 5:00pm deadline

Discussion Items

Power of We Membership: As part of the Community Agency Grant, the County encouraged organizations to become a Power of We Member. PWC includes representatives from health and human service providers, funders, advisory councils, and individuals. We meet monthly to network, share and learn and everyone is welcome to attend the meetings. 

We discussed a set of membership norms at the meeting that consisted of organizations assigning a member to be a liaison to PWC who:

• Attends meetings regularly
• Distributes Information and Lessons learned to their leadership and colleagues.
• Informs PWC on relevant priorities and opportunities from their organization. 
• Supports PWC strategic action objectives when possible.  

The strength of Power of We relies on an active membership sharing information and supporting one another. We appreciate everyone who comes to share and learn when they are able. 

Capital Cares Website

The Power of We in partnership with the Eaton County Human Services Council, Clinton County Building Stronger Communities and the Regional Housing Collaborative received an SDOH Hub Grant. Part of the grant is being used to build a new resource tool that will help make it easier for residents and organizations to access information. Capital Cares will combine 211 data with local resource directories and event calendars.

Action Items

Referral Contact List

Help us create a Referral Contact List to help facilitate easier and better referrals between organizations. The contact list will be accessible from www.pwclansing.org/member-resources (password: pwc) and is intended for use by professional staff, not for public consumption. 

• Please add or update referral contacts for your organization using the Contact Referral Form or share the form with the appropriate member on your team.

Shared Resources

• July 24 – Americans with Disabilities Act Celebration
• July 24 – Lansing Area Aids Network, 40th Anniversary Picnic
• Aug 8 – Unity in the Community
• Aug 2 – Ingham County Fair Multicultural Day
• Aug 27 – Child and Family Charities Nonprofit Hub Grand Opening Celebration
• Sep 20 – United Way Community Volunteer Fair

Next Meeting

Join us on August 15, 2-4 p.m. to continue sharing and discussing how we can improve the Ease of Access to resources and the Coordination of Services. 

Meeting Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89698654124?pwd=Y2V1cWNUZTB4ME9wZjlBNDRyWmN5dz09

Download iCalendar (.ics) files

Thank you to everyone who attended the Power of We Meeting today on June 20. Always a joy to see and hear from all of you. Highlights from this last meeting include:

Presentations

We had a presentation from Tiffany Lemieux-McKissick, Lead Consultant and Strategist, Lansing SAVE/BOLD Lansing

• Did you know that Lansing is the first community in the country to offer a Continuum of Financial Education and Support for residents that stretches from Kindergarten through Adulthood. The Continuum includes Lansing Save, Lansing Promise, MIPATH, Capital Area College Access Network, Lansing Financial Empowerment Center.
• Check out her slides.
• Watch a recording of her presentation, starting at the 22 minute mark.
• She also shared that more resources can be accessed from the Michigan CSA Network.

We also had a presentation from Nick Chaffin from Capital Area Michigan Works!

• He shared a range of services from workshops, New American Navigators, Veteran Employment Services, WIOA Adult/Dislocated Worker Services and more. 
• Watch a recording of his presentation, starting at the 47 minute mark.
• Check out his slides. 

Discussion Items

Social Determinants of Health Hub

• MDHHS launched Region 7 SDOH Hub for Eaton, Clinton & Ingham County in May.
• Power of We in collaboration with Eaton and Clinton County HSCC’s and the Regional Housing Partnership was awarded a grant of $30,000
• Aiden Foster-Fishman from the Capital Cares Collaborative shared a little about the grant’s objectives and led a discussion about a new regional resource website being developed.
  • Read the press release for the grant.
  • View the recording of the presentation, starting at the 67 minute mark.
  • View presentation slides. 
• Aiden also made a call for volunteers to join a Capital Cares Workgroup to inform the development of the resource website. To get involved email Aiden at: aiden@ech-eaton.org.

Action Items

Referral Contact List

Help us create a Referral Contact List to help facilitate easier and better referrals between organizations. The contact list will be accessible from www.pwclansing.org/member-resources and is intended for use by professional staff, not for public consumption. 

• Please add or update referral contacts for your organization using the Contact Referral Form or share the form with the appropriate member on your team.

Shared Resources

Business Charity Directory

James Rawson recapped his findings from examining philanthropic efforts across Michigan. He shared this report and two overall observations:

• The most supported areas are urban areas especially Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Lansing through funding and volunteering.
• Youth and children are most mentioned when philanthropic causes are mentioned.  In contrast, women, veterans, those with disabilities, and homelessness are listed least.

Refugee Development Center

There is some availability for their evening Tu/Th Adult ESL classes. 

100 Families

Next Alliance Meeting is Thursday, June 26 2-3:30 p.m. at Child and Family Charities, 407 W. Greenlawn, Lansing, MI 48910

Next Meeting

Join us on July 18, 2-4 p.m. on Zoom to continue sharing and discussing how we can improve the Ease of Access to resources and the Coordination of Services. Yarden Blumstein, Executive Director of Restoration Services Center will be sharing an update on their services. 

Thank you to everyone who attended the Power of We Meeting on the Feb 21st. Always a joy to see and hear from all of you. You can find the transcript, chat, notes and shared files at www.pwclansing.org. Highlights from this last meeting include:

Presentation

We had a presentation from Jayme Vosovic, Community Engagement Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy

• View her presentation slides. 
• Contact Jayme at: jvosovic@mlpp.org. 

Discussions

A conversation about Power of We activities including:

• Reminder about Referral Contact List for Ingham County
  • See Action Items below for how to access and update the list. 
• February Networking Event Update – Feb 25, 8:30-10:30am. 60 people had registered for the event.
  • At the 211 Networking and Reviewer event in January 80 people attended. 
  • Eaton County is working on an Economic Stability Simulation Workshop for the spring. 
• 100 Families/Hope Hub Discussion. Along with desire to look at alternative solutions for a coordinated care system. 

Action Items

Referral Contact List

Help us create a Referral Contact List to help facilitate easier and better referrals between organizations. The contact list will be accessible from www.pwclansing.org/member-resources (password: pwc) and is intended for use by professional staff, not for public consumption. 

• Please add or update referral contacts for your organization using the Contact Referral Form or share the form with the appropriate member on your team.

Shared Resources

CHIP Mini-Grant

Ingham County Health Department, in collaboration with Healthy! Capital Counties (H!CC), is offering a mini-grant opportunity to support the implementation of Community Health Improvement (CHIP) activities in Ingham County. This grant aims to address key health priorities – including Access to Care, Behavioral Health, and Housing – within Ingham County through community-driven projects and to increase participation within the CHIP. The Request for Proposal (RFP) can be found attached.

The grant application is located within the RFP, or can be found here. The application period is from February 19^th 2025 to March 24^th, 2025. A webinar will be available on February 26^th from 3pm-4pm on TEAMs for applicants to learn more about this grant and to ask questions. The invitation to this meeting is attached and will be recorded. Additionally, Q&A Office Hours will be available on March 5^th from 1pm-2pm, with the invitation also attached to this email.

Projects will be funded for up to three years, beginning April 30, 2025, and ending September 30, 2027. Projects may receive funding for the full three years or for a part of that time. A total of $45,000 is available. Activities for the funded project can be started as soon as April 30, 2025, for reimbursement, but organizations will likely not receive funding until June.

The attached RFP provides comprehensive information, including timelines, the evaluation process, and a detailed list of requirements. Also attached are the CHIP 2025 Strategy Worksheet and the CHIP Mini-Grants Budget Template, both of which are required for the application. A CHIP Mini-Grant FAQ is available and attached. Completed applications must be submitted via Alchemer by the end of the day on March 24, 2025.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at ktrimbach@ingham.org. 

Next Meeting

There will be no meeting in December. Join us for our next meeting on Friday, March 21 at 2 p.m. via Zoom. 

Guest speaker will be Rebecca Kasen from the Women’s Center of Greater Lansing. 

Thank you to everyone who attended the Power of We Meeting last week. Always a joy to see and hear from all of you. Highlights from this last meeting include:

Presentation

We had a presentation from VITA Director Michelle Wasylecki .

• Did you know that VITA has a Mobile Tax Assistance Program? Reach out to Michelle for more information: m.wasylecki@uwscmi.org.
• Learn more through the Presentation Slides or by visiting their website.

Read more