Raising funds for TrueMentors

The 16th Annual Dam to Dam Ice Fishing Tournament took place last month and was a roaring success, raising $22,424 for TrueMentors mentoring programs. Beyond the obvious ice fishing, the day’s festivities also included ice golf, food vendors, live music, apparel sales, a crackling bonfire, raffle prizes and loads of laughter.

Each $5 entry ticket for the fish weigh-in went directly to support TrueMentors. These much needed funds help support youth and mentors in our various mentoring programs- Community Based, School Based, TrueBlue Academy and Parks in Focus. In 2021, 88 youth participated in TrueMentors programming.

“Donations allow us to continue our program offerings in Newaygo County. Youth always need additional positive role models to look up to, and TrueMentors provides the foundation for us to offer just that. The success of Dam to Dam really helps ensure we have trained and qualified staff in our programs, and engaging programming and curriculum for youth,” stated Lisa Brown, TrueMentors Program Manager.

This event is made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of Leinenkugel’s and WLAV Radio. Keep an eye out for information on the 2023 event!

Lily lands on the Honor Roll

Lily, a 13-year old 7th grader at Holton Middle School wanted to sign up for Project FOCUS because she thought it would “help her a lot.” According to Carlos
Flores, the Site Coordinator at Holton Middle School, they enrolled Lily in the program this past fall, her first time with Project FOCUS.

“We want to make sure our students are at grade level for reading and math. When Lily signed up, we checked her grades, as we do with everybody, and worked on weekly goals”

Lily worked really hard, doing extra work at home logging her reading time, and in the first marking period, for the first time in her middle school career, earned her way on to the honor roll. Lily says she was not a great reader before this, but now she really enjoys it. The staff at Project FOCUS helped her improve her grades by assisting with missing assignments and utilizing the built-in homework help time at FOCUS, which she attends every Monday – Thursday. Lily says making the honor roll makes her feel happy and that her parents are “real proud of her.” She
thinks other kids should join Project FOCUS because “they are really helpful and we can have fun too.” We couldn’t agree more!

Project FOCUS at Holton Middle School is for sixth through eighth grade students. Programming runs Mondays through Thursdays, from 2:35 – 5:10 pm daily (1st and 3rd Wednesdays from 1:10 – 3:40 pm). For an application form, contact Carlos Flores, Site Coordinator at (231) 821-1775 or cflores@truenorthsevices.org.

Community Friends

A new social opportunity aimed at individuals 55 and older is emerging in Newaygo County. Community Friends is spearheaded by TrueNorth
Community Services and Camp Newaygo and provides opportunities for the older population to stay active and socially engaged with their peers as well as connecting with younger generations. There have been several curated outings since the group formed in the summer of 2021. Members have participated in a guided baking class in the kitchen at Camp Newaygo and created bespoke glass Christmas ornaments with the instructors at the Artsplace in Fremont. Every Tuesday in January and February Camp Newaygo hosted euchre for Community
Friends. This popular winter event has drawn in up to 20 avid new and veteran card players each Tuesday and has the possibility of continuing through March.

Currently most events are free to attend but donations are welcome to help plan and promote future excursions. Events are varied and focus on discovering new resources and entertainment within and outside of Newaygo County, learning and
brushing up on new and old skills, and creating new friendships and social networks. These programs also adhere to all currently prescribed Covid precautions from the CDC.

If you are interested in learning more about Community Friends or joining their mailing list please reach out to the coordinator, Caitlin Voyt at (231) 652-1184 or email at cvoyt@campnewaygo.org. You can also join the Facebook group at
www.facebook.com/groups/truenorthfriends.

Community Support

Long-standing community support is often built on positive relationships and
trust. In TrueNorth’s 50 historic years, relationship building has always been a top
priority for TrueNorth leadership, staff, and Board of Directors. It is something we
strive to do everyday. With innovative approaches to serving the community, we
are constantly assessing how new initiatives, programs, and services can truly
impact the lives of the families we serve. The community has come alongside us
in this work, supporting our programs and services through generous financial
and in-kind gifts, and thousands of volunteer hours.

We are honored to have served the community for the past 50 years. It’s humbling to hear TrueNorth is “the first place people go [for help]” and “TrueNorth has been a life saver for thousands of families”. It’s only through the trust we’ve built with our participants, our partners, our volunteers, and within our communities that we are able to do the work we do.

This strong relationship with the community allows TrueNorth to live out our
mission. In addition to Relationships, Integrity and Excellence are core values
of the organization. Our supporters place trust in us to be good stewards of
their donations and time. Based on our proven track record of success, impact,
and fiscal responsibility, we have been provided with many opportunities for
expansion and growth.

Social opportunities through shared experiences

Missy shares her involvement with Hunger Pgms.

Missy (pictured above) is serving as a National Service AmeriCorps member with our Hunger Prevention Programs. She grew up in a local, working-class family. She saw her parents struggle, even though they worked long, hard hours. As Missy put it;“As a parent, no matter what you do in life, your kids can always tell you are struggling. They can hear when you don’t think they are listening, and can see when you don’t think they are looking, and they can always see past your fake smile.”

Missy recalls coming to TrueNorth with her mother (back when we were still called NCCS) because her mom had a bill they couldn’t afford to pay. She remembers a nice woman named Margie (Marge Fraser) helping her mother with the bill and them leaving with two bags of pre-packed groceries from our old Food Pantry closet.

“I helped my mother carry them out; looking up at a real smile instead of the fake one she gave me when we entered.”

Later, as a teen Missy volunteered with our Food Depot program. She recalls working with Program Director, Becky Beets (pictured above on the right) and being moved by the compassion, love and acceptance Becky showed for everyone she helped.

Missy says her perspective as an adult is much different. In the relatively short time she has been here, she has had the chance to see the impact made on the people we serve.

“I have seen a homeless man go from sleeping in his vehicle to having a place he and his daughter could take a hot bath and a bed to sleep in. I saw the impact of the PowerPacks we create and deliver to schoolchildren so they have food on the weekend. My son came home and told me his friend whose family was struggling and had no food made an entire meal with his PowerPack. I have learned firsthand what the volunteers mean to the organization. I have had a chance to see first-hand what it’s like to make an impact on the community through the power of compassion, generosity, love, and acceptance.”

February 22, 2022

By now, you know TrueNorth is turning 50 this year. As part of our celebration, we have set Tuesday, February 22 as our first annual TrueNorth Day of Giving.

The TrueNorth Day of Giving is an opportunity for supporters to come together on one day to show their commitment to our mission of bringing together influencers, innovators, and change-makers to inspire hope and create a better world. During the 24-hour event, we are asking the community to meet the challenge of raising $15,000 to strengthen communities for individuals and families.

“There’s a few ways to get involved,” said Mark Kraus, our Community Liaison and Development Director. “You can make a financial donation on the Day of Giving; February 22 and unite with compassionate people like yourselves by giving at the link below. Your gift provides safety, improves self-sufficiency, and builds social capital in our communities,” he continued.

You can also help spread the word about TrueNorth’s Day of Giving. Share your passion for helping those in need. Encourage your friends and family to give a gift to help the families who urgently need the support TrueNorth programs offer, and if you are on social media, be sure to like and share our Facebook posts about the TrueNorth Day of Giving on the 22nd.

If you have additional questions, please contact Mark Kraus at (231) 924-0641 ext. 161 or mkraus@truenorthservices.org.

Sharing the importance of mentoring

By definition, a mentor is – an experienced and trusted adviser; a friend; and someone to help provide guidance, support and be a positive role model. Which is exactly what the adults in our TrueMentors program are. Adult to child mentoring has been a central part of the TrueNorth mission since 1976.

Beginning with our Connections program, followed by an 18-year partnership with Big Brother Big Sisters, and more recently as TrueMentors. Through these programs we have offered a variety of mentoring experiences, from traditional one-on-one pairings, to group mentoring at TrueBlue Academy, and outdoor adventure and art programs like Parks in Focus.

Mentors make a difference in the lives of youth through their gift of time. This includes everyday activities and experiences like grocery shopping, taking a walk, cooking a meal, or can include more infrequent activities like amusement park visits, sporting events, and movies. Either way, the time spent between mentor and mentee can have a life changing effect.

During January, National Mentoring Month, we acknowledge the importance of mentoring and bring light to the on-going need for additional mentors. We are encouraging everyone interested to become involved.

Anyone interested in becoming a mentor to a Newaygo County child, or to RSVP for the event, should contact Lisa Brown, TrueMentors Program Director, at (231) 924-0641, ext. 109, or lbrown@truenorthservices.org.