Community Health Access Program

CHAP recently served an elderly woman who was plagued with various health issues. When she was referred to CHAP, she was sleeping on a mattress pad situated on top of milk crates. Not only was this situation impacting her health and wellbeing, but it also created concern about her safety. Ultimately, Mid-Michigan CHAP was able to provide this woman with a new sleeping situation, complete with a bed, frame, box spring, sheets, and pillows. The client was very grateful to be able to receive these items and is now able to rest comfortably while focusing on her health.

A staff member met an individual at a pantry outreach event. Upon getting to know them, it was discovered that their son is a renal transplant patient. Between the many medical expenses and distance to the hospital, the family fell further and further behind on bills. They were at risk of losing their home due to foreclosure. Staff provided information to the individual about tax relief through the state of Michigan. Thanks to this resource, the individual was able to pay for their delinquent property taxes and receive additional assistance with utilities. The family is relieved that they can now focus on the medical needs of their son without these additional financial burdens.

Flint Healthcare Employment Opportunities

The FHEO program recently impacted the life of Amanda, a program participant. Amanda was preparing for her high school graduation when she attended a resource fair where she learned about FHEO’s Summer Youth Work Experience program. After years of caring for her family members, she developed a passion for helping others and a desire to pursue a career in healthcare, making her a great candidate for FHEO’s offerings. Before participating in the Summer Youth Work Experience, Amanda participated in FHEO’s Life Skills and Healthcare Career Exploration training, which included workplace readiness and professional development activities, entrepreneurial and career exploration, financial fitness, mental health strategies, and public service. After the training, Amanda was placed at Charter Healthcare Training Center for eight weeks where she was well supported to gain essential skills for her future healthcare career. After the eight-week Summer Youth Work Experience program, Amanda faced housing challenges and was unsure what she would do to support herself moving forward. With guidance and support from the FHEO program, Amanda registered for fall classes at the University of Michigan – Flint and was able to secure on-campus housing and work-study employment while taking classes for pre-nursing. Amanda shared that the FHEO program helped prepare her for the real world and provided vital problem-solving skills. Thanks to her start with the FHEO program, Amanda plans to complete her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and eventually become a traveling registered nurse.

Commit to Fit

In August 2022, Commit to Fit entered a partnership with the First United Church to help address the church’s nutritional barriers. At the time, the church was having difficulty meeting the food needs of its 150+ food distribution clients. Commit to Fit was able to help the church identify funding for a “test garden” of three raised beds, while also providing technical assistance on what crops could be grown late in the Michigan growing system. The test garden produced several rounds of vitamin-rich produce such as radishes, spinach, broccoli, strawberries, and lettuce that were provided to the church’s clients. In 2023, Commit to Fit helped the church identify additional funding that allowed for the garden project to be expanded from three raised beds to a small field. Commit to Fit continued to provide technical assistance and resources to support the church’s garden. Ultimately, the church grew hundreds of pounds of produce during the growing season, providing nearly all of it to the food distribution clients. Clients were able to receive various fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini, squash, carrots, green onions, watermelons, and tomatillos – all at no cost. The church intends to continue operating the community garden in future years and will alter the crops being grown based on the preferences of clients. Commit to Fit takes pride in the success of the community garden and states that it is a demonstration that with SNAP-Ed technical assistance, program partners can continue to create community gardens that sustainably produce enough fruits and vegetables to significantly increase food access for low-income residents.

Flint ReCAST

Flint ReCAST hosted an inaugural Supporting Togetherness, Resiliency, Opportunity, Networking, and Growth (STRONG) Summit in 2023. Over 100 people attended the STRONG Summit, a day enriched with speakers, workshops, and excursions. Community leaders presented on topics such as somatic healing, burnout and chronic stress, embracing challenges, mindfulness, LGBTQIA+ youth advocacy, and adverse childhood experiences, among other impactful topics. Aside from engaging in such important conversations, participants were also able to participate in excursions such as mindful kayaking and biking, urban gardening, and relaxation at a salt spa. In addition to the impact Flint ReCAST made at the STRONG Summit, it was also able to provide over $230,000 to 15 community-based organizations that worked to increase capacity and implementation of evidence- and community-based youth engagement programs through community partnerships to promote positive youth development. As a result of this investment, 12,000 youth and 8,000 adults received free trauma-informed services, training, programming, or resources. Flint ReCAST is extremely grateful that 20,000 people were positively impacted by the funding it provided to the awarded organizations.

Mental Health & Substance Use Task Force

One client had lost nearly everything in his life including family, employment, housing, and ultimately, the ability to hope for a brighter future. After finding himself in a hospital bed following an overdose, a referral was made to the Quick Response Team and a Peer Recovery Coach responded right away. The connection that was made between the QRT coach and the client that night was a breakthrough for the young man. While he did not immediately enter treatment or find recovery, a seed was planted. He realized that there are others who have faced similar battles and have overcome them. He was given hope through a connection with a peer whom he could see eye to eye with. Months later, this same gentleman began the process of overcoming his battle with substance use. Leading to restored relationships with his family, opportunities for employment, stable housing, and ultimately, freedom from the things that plagued him for so many years. Nearly three years later, this same person joined the QRT and now serves as a state-certified Peer Recovery Coach responding to calls in the same hospital he was admitted to following an overdose. This is at the very heart of what the QRT does and why it works. Not only to help people find freedom from substance use but to become all they can be and find ways to use their personal experiences to give hope to others. This beautiful story is only one of many. Beyond the work in local hospitals, multiple clients have even transitioned from incarceration to treatment, recovery housing, and then back into the community, healthier and more whole, because of the QRT. Family restoration, people accessing the resources they are in need of, and ensuring that people do not suffer alone or in silence but are immersed in a support system are at the core of why the QRT exists.

Community Approaches to Strengthening Economic Supports

During its time, CASES impacted the life of a Flint resident named James. While program staff conducted a presentation at a local elementary school, they were able to meet James, who shared that he was able to utilize access to free tax preparation and successfully claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit. Not only was James able to get caught up on previously unfiled tax returns, but he was able to get a refund of over $27,000. This life-changing outcome meant that James was able to purchase a duplex and ultimately secure housing for his daughter who was pregnant with twins. The extra boost from the EITC eased the burden of financial stress in James’ life and provided financial stability that put his family back on track.