Episodes

  • Helping Survivors and a Resale Store's Exansion

    Helping Survivors and a Resale Store's Exansion
    Mar 14 2025
    March 16, 2025 ~ HAVEN of Oakland County is Oakland County’s leading nonprofit dedicated to serving survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Haven CEO Christine Kinal joins Michigan Voices and talks about Haven's comprehensive support and advocacy services before April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. HAVEN will be spending the month honoring brave survivors and raising awareness as it marks its 50th anniversary. Council Re|Sale is one of the oldest resale shops in metro Detroit, has expanded into the adjacent building, adding 4,400 square feet, plus a basement. Council Re|Sale is operated by National Council of Jewish Women, Michigan (NCJW|MI) and is known for carrying high-end clothing, including designer wear, jewelry, shoes and household items all generously donated by the local community. Council spokesperson Amy Zeskind joins Michigan Voices.
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    27 mins
  • Brewing Problems, Building Community Connections, and

    Brewing Problems, Building Community Connections, and
    Mar 9 2025
    March 9, 2025 ~ Batch Brewing Co. is celebrating an increasingly rare milestone in the craft beer world: 10 years in business. It’s especially poignant as the industry experiences turmoil with breweries across the country struggling. Last month, Batch owner Stephen Roginson took to social media to help shed light on some of the current challenges faced by the service industry. For almost two decades, DBG has built deep connections with students and their families, measuring impact through annual evaluations and ongoing dialogue. This longitudinal approach allows them to understand each student’s unique journey – their challenges, opportunities, and dreams. Peter Feezey and Jessica Hauser from DBG join Michigan Voices. Corewell Health is offering to help parents with all the ups and downs of raising children. Raising Resilient Children offers parents techniques to improve their child’s behavior, emotional well-being, and overall family dynamics. The program is designed for parents and caregivers of children from infancy to adolescence and is free to Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb residents. Program Director Suzy Bershback joins Michigan Voices.
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    30 mins
  • Helping the Community and Helping Animals Get Adopted

    Helping the Community and Helping Animals Get Adopted
    Feb 27 2025
    March 2, 2025 ~ MiSide Community Impact Network was formed in 2023 after the merging of two Detroit-based nonprofits – Southwest Solutions and Development Centers Inc. – to provide a higher, more personal level of care that addresses every side of life. It is unique to the needs of each community it serves, serving nearly 25,000 clients in Detroit and Wayne County. Sean de Four, president and CEO of MiSide Community Impact Network MiSide, joins the show to discuss his organization. Orsi Desi is a board member for Friends of Michigan Animals Rescue, a no-kill shelter located in Belleville, MI. They have been around for over 20 years and deal with stray cats and dogs in the community, as well as animal surrenders from families no longer able to care for them for one reason or another. Friends then evaluate the animals for health and temperament, and get them ready for adoption.
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    27 mins
  • Michigan Groups Who Help Veterans

    Michigan Groups Who Help Veterans
    Feb 21 2025
    Feb. 21, 2025 ~ The Michigan Freedom Center, also known as the Michigan Armed Forces Hospitality Center, has been helping military veterans since 2011. The MI Freedom Center has been a place where volunteers have provided care, comfort, and courtesy to traveling military and their families, ranging from active-duty military personnel, to veterans, to NATO Forces, reservists, and the National Guard. Col. Mike Grieger joins WJR Michigan Voices. Volunteers of America Michigan President and CEO Aubrey Macfarlane talks about Volunteers of America's programs funded by federal grants to help veterans get back on their feet. These programs for veterans include case management, employment training, suicide prevention, transitional housing, and other supportive services for veteran families.
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    21 mins
  • Providing Feminine Hygiene Kits and Education Assistance

    Providing Feminine Hygiene Kits and Education Assistance
    Feb 14 2025
    Feb. 16, 2025 ~ Lacey Catarino is the founder and executive director of The Clean Love Project, which she started in her home in 2015. The organization was officially established as a nonprofit in 2017, and is dedicated to helping women and young girls to feel clean, loved, and empowered. The organization mainly distributes hygiene kits in the Detroit area to those who are homeless, living in poverty, or are survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking. Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars is a nonprofit dedicated to providing scholars with the tools and opportunities to graduate from high school and college. The Next Level Scholars Program offers comprehensive support, including FAFSA workshops, SAT prep, and academic resources to guide scholars through the college admissions process and their continued success. Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars (DRDFS) has been helping local students prepare for life after high school for 35 years. Program Director Jill Marecki joins Michigan Voices.
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    28 mins
  • Granting Wishes and Helping Foster Children

    Granting Wishes and Helping Foster Children
    Feb 7 2025
    The Rainbow Connection is the only wish-granting organization based in Michigan, granting wish experiences for children, along with emergency support, special programs and events, and a scholarship program for wish children who move on to college. Since its founding, the organization has granted more than 5,000 wishes across Michigan. Executive Director Ingrid Todt said the organization is celebrating its 40th year. Kevin Roach is the CEO of MCHS, a metro Detroit nonprofit celebrating more than 100 years of serving vulnerable youth in the community, is leading the way in new, modern approaches to addressing everything from foster care and adoption to the mental health crisis. The organization serves thousands of individuals through residential treatment, foster care, adoption, and other programs.
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    28 mins
  • Valentine's to Veterans, Helping Rouge Park, and Suicide Prevention with First Responders

    Valentine's to Veterans, Helping Rouge Park, and Suicide Prevention with First Responders
    Jan 31 2025
    Feb. 2, 2025 ~ Since 2015, students across the region have made hundreds of cards each year to show love and appreciation to veterans at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center along with VA doctors, nurses, administrators, and staff. Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-6) joins Michigan Voices to talk about the Valentine's for Veterans program, which she started a decade ago to honor her late husband, Congressman John Dingell. The Gilbert Family Foundation announced a $430,000 three-year grant (the largest-ever grant in the organization's history) to Friends of Rouge Park to expand community programming in Rouge Park, the largest urban park in the state of Michigan. Rouge Park is a green space that spans nearly 1,200 acres and serves as a symbol of Detroit's ongoing efforts to preserve natural beauty while fostering community connection. JJ Velez, director of public spaces for the Gilbert Foundation, joins Michigan Voices. Frontline Strong Together is a program for first responders and their families, as more police and firefighters die of suicide than in the line of duty. This is a statewide program offering training peer support and counselors among the police and firefighters, as they are much more likely to reach out to one of their colleagues than a mental health specialist. Ali Amirsadri, associate department chair of psychiatry at Wayne State University, and Mike Matten, firefighter and member of Frontline Strong Together, join Michigan Voices.
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    28 mins
  • Hospice Services and Helping Southeast Michigan Youth

    Hospice Services and Helping Southeast Michigan Youth
    Jan 26 2025
    Jan. 24, 2025 ~ Hospice of Michigan (HOM) is the original and largest hospice location in the state. The nonprofit raises more than $5 million each year to cover costs for the uninsured and underinsured for hospice services. HOM offers a broad range of services to enhance the quality of life at the end of life, grief support and counseling, and caregiver education and support. Ruth Moore-Lilly, volunteer program manager at Hospice of Michigan, said the organization needs volunteers for its programs in Southeast Michigan. Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan (JASEM) started 75 years ago in Detroit back in 1949 and has served more than 2 million young people across the region. Jason Lee, president and CEO of JASEM, spoke about the $1.5 million in renovations and improvements, the first major upgrades to Junior Achievement Finance Park in Detroit in 15 years. The first group of students will be visiting and receiving life-changing financial literacy lessons there this month.
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    26 mins