Students receive Youth in Action Award

For their outstanding volunteer service, the Newaygo Middle School Junior Honor Society received the Youth in Action Award at this year’s Community of Efforts celebration, TrueNorth’s annual volunteer recognition event. Newaygo students from grades seventh through ninth have been instrumental in supporting multiple programs at TrueNorth, making an impact in our community and in their own lives.

Middle school teacher and coordinator for the chapter, Jaimee Harkness, says, “Volunteering at TrueNorth has opened their eyes to seeing the needs in our community and understanding that giving back and paying it forward creates a sense of community and pride knowing they helped create a better life for someone.”

From helping collect, sort and display toys and other gifts for Children’s Christmas Programs to packing Weekend PowerPacks for students like themselves, Jaime’s students have helped thousands of individuals and families. The middle schoolers also helped with the WZZM13 Spirit Challenge, sorted coats for Coats for Kids and painted bowls for our annual Empty Bowls fundraisers.

Jaime’s students especially enjoyed volunteering for Children’s Christmas Programs. When setting up for the event, the middle schoolers also packed over 2,000 Weekend PowerPacks, helping over 4,000 area children and families in just one day. Having the opportunity to help create a better quality of life for members of their community has taught Jaime’s students empathy, leadership and social skills, self-esteem and responsibility.

Jaime’s students were not expecting any award for their volunteering. “We really appreciated the recognition of our volunteer work by receiving the Youth in Action Award,” says Jaime. “It was a pleasure to have the students see that their volunteer work does not go unnoticed.”

Youth volunteerism helps empower our community’s future leaders. Jaime’s students have gone over and above to create positive change in the lives of their neighbors, showing that you can make a difference at any age. 

Jaime encourages educators like her to get their students involved in the community through volunteering. Through her years working with the National Jr. Honor Society, Jaime has seen her students grow immensely. She says, “Volunteering in the smallest ways make a bigger impact than you know for the people you are helping but also the students who are volunteering!”

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Students build bridges at S.T.E.A.M. Challenge 

Every year, students in our Out-of-School Time Programs take part in the S.T.E.A.M. Challenge utilizing skills and knowledge they’ve learned regarding Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics. This year’s event took place on Saturday, March 11th, and approximately 150 students from our various sites took part.

Bringing students from four counties together, this event, themed “Building Bridges,” took place at Hesperia Community Schools. In addition to the day’s highlighted competitions, the students rotated through activities such as creating boats that float out of only aluminum; creating buildings using jellybeans and toothpicks as their foundations; and making inchworms out of construction paper and then propelling them in races using straws and their own lung power.

For the main challenge, students built bridges out of either popsicle sticks or balsa wood, depending on their grade level, and entered them into the challenge. Judged on structure, creativity, thought process, and integrity – the winners were those bridges that could hold the most weight! There were LEGO challenges, both 2D and 3D student-created art exhibits, and lots of other fun, hands-on activities. 

“Some students took the theme not only to mean bridges over water, but building bridges amongst students, communities, and friendships – which was really cool!”

– Danielle Siegel, Youth Programs Director 

“Our participants began brainstorming their bridge structures weeks in advance, and it was impressive to see their designs transition from paper designs to strong wooden bridges. The anticipation and excitement on our participants’ faces as the weights were added to the bridges was one of the highlights of the day, and I was extremely proud of the staff and students for their hard work and dedication,”

-Donna Grodus, Project FOCUS Director

 

Catering for a cause  

From appetizers to buffets, from three course meals to delicious desserts, Ridge Catering does it all. Ridge Catering, housed within Camp Newaygo, offers on-site and off-site catering to Newaygo area community members. Whether for a business luncheon, an organization dinner, a baby shower or wedding reception, Ridge Catering has experience making homemade items for all audiences.

Overseen by Whitney Sparks, Events and Catering Director, the Ridge Catering team has varied experiences in their culinary backgrounds. A recent addition to the Ridge Catering team includes Chef Jazmine Meyer who has worked in different seasonal country clubs and resorts and was trained under a Michelin Starred Chef. The diverse team of Ridge Catering ensures that top-notch service is offered in each and every event.

Do you have an upcoming event where catering is needed? Reach out to Ridge Catering to discuss dates, menu options and facility use (if needed) to make your event a success. Contact Whitney at (231) 652-1184 or wsparks@campnewaygo.org.   

 

Engage!  

“Liam wants to go to Engage!, that’s the best thing,” says Liam’s mom, Jane Orban. “He looks forward to going every day and continues to be excited about the program.”

Liam Gibson has been a part of the Engage! Out-of-School Time program in Hesperia for five years, starting in the second grade. Now, after completing sixth grade at the middle school, Liam continues to flourish in the program.

Liam’s parents first sent him to Engage! to help improve his focus in a safe place outside of school. Being in the program helped Liam more smoothly transition from the elementary school to the middle school because he still had the support and consistency from Engage!. While there were still a number of changes between school and switching to the middle school Engage! program, Liam learned how to adapt and thrive during these new experiences.

Fun, goofy and inclusive are a few words that describe Liam’s personality. Megan Dyke, the Engage! site coordinator at David C. Outwin Middle School in Hesperia says, “My favorite Liam days are when he comes in and immediately starts playing music and dancing around. He can really set a positive mood for the whole group and get them all involved and dancing too. Even for those who are shy and choose not to dance, you can still see the smiles on their faces watching Liam’s impromptu dance parties.”

Two of Liam’s favorite parts of Engage! are these impromptu dance parties and spending time with friends. Liam has built strong friendships through spending time after school doing fun activities and learning new things with other students. Having this time to interact with friends and other students has fostered an outgoing personality and love for people in Liam.

Not only has Liam grown socially in Engage!, but he has also expanded his interests and skills. Liam is a great problem solver and excels in any kind of engineering challenge. He loves to be innovative in the engineering activities that are a part of the curriculum at Engage! and continuously makes creative projects. Liam showcased these skills at the S.T.E.A.M challenge, an event hosted by TrueNorth Community Services for all 360 students in Out-of-School Time programs. He even was a winner in the Day-of Challenge where he worked with students from different programs to create a bridge out of legos.

Being in Engage! for five years has positively impacted Liam and his family. Having a safe place to go after school to spend time with friends while having hands-on learning experiences has helped Liam grow as a student and most importantly, as an individual. After seeing how much Liam enjoyed and excelled in Engage! Liam’s parents enrolled his sister in the elementary school program as well.

Looking to the future, Liam is excited to continue in the program. When asked what Liam could see himself doing in the future, he said, “I’ve been told I am a people person before, so I think I’d like to do something where you’re more talkative with people.” While Liam has a long time to decide what he would eventually like to do, he will carry with him the life-long skills he has learned in the program.

 

Spreading treats of thanks   

Unsung heroes often get overlooked in the day to day grind. Recently, volunteers spent a morning in the kitchen making delicious sweet treats to provide to employees at Consumers Energy and Great Lakes Energy. While laughing and singing along to the radio, the group was happy to show their appreciation and spread kindness through TrueNorth’s Baking All Together program. Each month, Baking All Together will make and deliver treats to show appreciation for everyday heroes in our community.

All Together promotes volunteerism and acts of kindness. Adults of all ages, with a focus on those 55+, are invited to be part of special interest groups that get together to do good in the community. Baking All Together meets twice a month and participants design program plans, deciding on monthly recipes and join forces as they prepare and then deliver treats to our local heroes! 

Interested community members can also be a part of Knitting All Together, a knitting and crocheting circle that hand-makes items to donate to local causes. Anyone interested in getting involved, whether seasoned crocheters or those looking to learn, can drop-in during circles held every Tuesday and Thursday.

All Together is made possible through support from the Fremont Area Community Foundation’s Bridging Generations Fund. If you or someone you know would like to become involved in giving back while building lasting connections with others, please contact Jackie Knight at TrueNorth at jknight@truenorthservices.org or (231) 924-0641.

Bowlapalooza’s triumphant return   

Bowlapalooza is a bowling event that raises much-needed funding for TrueMentors, and after a three-year absence, it made its return! Money raised from this event enables staff to recruit, train and match adult volunteer mentors with local children who need them.

“With minimal funding streams available for mentoring programs, TrueMentors, and Newaygo County youth impacted by the program depend on its fundraising efforts. Given the cancellation of Dam to Dam due to weather and the inability to hold Bowlapalooza for the last three years, we were hoping for a great show of support this year and our community did not disappoint!”, said Danielle Siegel, Youth Programs Director.

Over two days in April, 117 individuals representing 20 different bowling teams, got together, bowled, had a blast, and most importantly, raised over $22,000 for TrueMentors. TrueNorth staff alone raised nearly $7,000! This infusion of funds will go a long way in filling the funding gap TrueMentors was facing. 

Utilize Ridge Catering for your next event

From appetizers to buffets, from three course meals to delicious desserts, Ridge Catering does it all. Ridge Catering, a service of Camp Newaygo, offers on-site and off-site catering to Newaygo area community members. Whether for a business luncheon, an organization dinner, a baby shower or wedding reception, Ridge Catering has experience making delicious, homemade items for all audiences and every occasion.

Overseen by Whitney Sparks, Events and Catering Director, the Ridge Catering team has varied experiences in their culinary backgrounds. A recent addition to the Ridge Catering team includes Chef Jazmine Meyer who has worked in different seasonal country clubs and resorts and was trained under a Michelin Starred Chef. The diverse team of Ridge Catering ensures that top-notch service is offered in each and every event.

Do you have an upcoming event where catering is needed? Reach out to Ridge Catering to discuss dates, menu options and facility use (if needed) to make your event a success. Contact Whitney at (231) 652-1184 or wsparks@campnewaygo.org.   

 

 

TrueMentors making a difference

Elijah was on the TrueMentors waiting list for nearly six months looking for a male role model; someone who thinks the things he likes are interesting, and who wants to play games and get him out of the house. He likes animals, which isn’t that unusual for a child, but also architecture and computers. Luckily, Alan, his perfect match, came along! 

Alan came to TrueNorth looking for a way for a way to give back and work with kids. He has a Master’s Degree in Data Science from the University of Michigan and works for a housing developer. Alan enjoys reading, computers, and comedy. Together, the pair visit and tour old, historic buildings, participate in coding classes, and play board games online when their schedules don’t align.

Currently, our TrueMentors Program has several young boys on our waiting list who need a positive adult role model. A special shout out goes to our only current male volunteer, Alan! Perhaps you or someone you know might be interested in being a positive influence in a young man’s life. Pass it on – be a mentor!

Another way to get involved is also a very easy and super fun one; Bowlapalooza! There’s still time to organize a team and participate in this annual bowling fundraiser to help our TrueMentors staff recruit, train and match adult mentors with local kids who need them. Bowlapalooza takes place April 20th and 21st at Fremont Lanes.

 

 

Out-of-School Time: Building Bridges

On Saturday, March 11th, approximately 150 students from our various Out-of-School Time Programs took part in the annual S.T.E.A.M. Challenge. Bringing students from four counties together, this event, themed “Building Bridges,” took place at Hesperia Community Schools, and gave students a chance to participate and compete in a number of challenges utilizing skills and knowledge they’ve learned regarding Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics. 

In addition to the day’s highlighted competitions, the students rotated through activities such as creating boats that float out of only aluminum; creating buildings using jellybeans and toothpicks as their foundations; and making inchworms out of construction paper and then propelling them in races using straws and their own lung power.

For the main challenge, students built bridges out of either popsicle sticks or balsa wood, depending on their age, and entered them into the challenge. Judged on structure, creativity, thought process, and integrity- the winners were those bridges that could hold the most weight! There were LEGO challenges, both 2D and 3D student-created art exhibits, and lots of other fun, hands-on activities. 

“Some students took the theme not only to mean bridges over water, but building bridges amongst students, communities, and friendships – which was really cool!”
– Danielle Siegel, Youth Programs Director 

 

 

 

 

Season kicks off with seed distribution

Fresh produce is a vital component of a healthy diet, yet those experiencing food insecurity rarely have the opportunity to enjoy it. This is why we hold our annual Plant-a-Row for Hunger campaign.  This year we need your support more than ever. During the pandemic we saw a 110% increase in request for food assistance, we are now experiencing an additional 40% increase in assistance.

Anyone who has ever had a garden knows you often end up with much more produce than you and your family could ever consume. We ask local growers to remember the good gardener’s tradition of sharing your bounty with those in need. We also suggest taking it one step further by deliberately planting an extra row for the express purpose of donating the produce come harvest time

Every year, the Plant-a-Row for Hunger campaign brings in over 9,000 lbs. of fresh produce to our Food Pantry. This year our goal is to exceed 12,000 lbs of donated fresh produce. Please help us reach that goal.

The seed distribution, which we started a couple of years ago makes it even easier for local growers to participate. Visit TrueNorth March 20th – 24th between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm to select your free five seed packets. We also encourage anyone who might have need of our Food Pantry services to think about planting their own gardens and empowering themselves to grow their own fresh, healthy produce.