The deadline to turn in Tools for School applications is Monday, July 22, at TrueNorth Community Services.

Tools for School provides students from qualifying low-income families with new backpacks filled with essential school supplies. The program is for kindergarten through 12th grade students living in or attending school in Newaygo County for the 2019-2020 school year, and TrueNorth expects to serve more than 1,000  students this year.

Applications are available at TrueNorth in Fremont; local libraries; FiveCAP, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Newaygo County Community Mental Health in White Cloud; and Newaygo Child Development Center Croton in Newaygo; and on TrueNorth’s website at http://bit.ly/ToolsForSchool2019App.

The 16th annual Tools for School Expo is Tuesday, August 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the TrueNorth Service Center, 6308 South Warner Avenue in Fremont. The program’s sponsors are The Gerber Foundation and the Fremont Area Community Foundation.

Circles Newaygo County strives to end poverty one family at a time, working with Circle Leaders (heads of families) to help them achieve self-sufficiency. 

Become someone who supports those efforts by becoming an Ally, volunteering to work alongside them on their journey forward. Or support the Circle Leaders and Allies as a volunteer with one of our resource teams.

We are in particular need of childcare volunteers, who work with children at our weekly Circles meetings and volunteer from 6:30-8 p.m. Thursdays (with dinner included and the curriculum provided).

To volunteer with or to get more details on Circles Newaygo County, call (231) 924-0641, ext. 220, or email circles@truenorthservices.org.

Circles is funded by a grant from Fremont Area Community Foundation​ and is affiliated with Circles USA​.

TrueMentors is focused on nurturing kids.

TrueMentors' community mentoring volunteers are matched with Newaygo County youth between the ages of 5 to 14 years old in a one-to-one mentoring relationship for a minimum one-year commitment.

To apply to be a mentor with TrueMentors, contact us by email at truementors@truenorthservices.org or call (231) 924-0641, ext. 109.

You can help support TrueMentors by making a financial contribution to the program; get the details here.

TrueNorth Community Services' emPower heat and energy assistance program assists people struggling to afford their utility and deliverable fuels bills in Michigan, helping them to become self-sufficient.

emPower is working to provide help across Michigan for 2018-2019 in partnership with Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Michigan Agency for Energy.

These are the steps to discover success with emPower’s assistance through its Self-Sufficiency Services:

1. Complete and be approved for Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ State Emergency Relief (SER) assistance. Apply through MI Bridges
2. Choose TrueNorth Community Services as your referral partner
3. Get contacted by emPower to start your self-sufficiency journey

For more details, visit our emPower information page ; visit emPower's website or call 231.355.5880.

There are a range of community activities to enjoy at Camp Newaygo. Discover someplace special.

The upcoming events include:

Public Zipline Canopy Tour, July 27 and August 10, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Soar through the trees on Camp Newaygo's public zipline. Cost: $12 for dual zip (400 feet), $15 for loop zip (675 feet) and $22 canopy tour (1,075 feet).

Dog Days of Summer — Dinner on The Ridge, Saturday, July 20, 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Dinner presented by Ridge Specialties, with main course of Cedar Plank Salmon or Grilled Half Chicken with Carolina barbecue (with vegetation option available). Featuring music by James Driessche. Cost: $29.95 per person or $230 for a table of eight.

Southern Shrimp Boil — Dinner on The Ridge, Saturday, August 10, 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Dinner presented by Ridge Specialties, with main course of Shrimp Boil with smoked sausage, potatoes, and corn (with vegetation option available). Featuring music by Patty Pershayla. Cost: $29.95 per person or $230 for a table of eight.

Girlfriends Get-A-Way, Friday-Sunday, October 4-6. An all-inclusive weekend filled with relaxation and fun; includes lodging, meals, and activities with optional Zipline Canopy Tour and on-site pampering via massage and/or facial. Cost: $205 per person for all programs, meals, and lodging.

For more information, call (231) 652-1184 or email campbiz@campnewaygo.org. Camp Newaygo is located at 5333 South Centerline Road in Newaygo. 

When people ask: "Why should I support and/or volunteer for TrueNorth Community Services?" We say: "Because ..."