Open Arms Child Advocacy Center to host dueling pianos event at Big Rapids Eagles
BIG RAPIDS, Michigan – Open Arms Child Advocacy Center is inviting the public to have fun, enjoy terrific music and help fight child abuse and neglect at a dueling pianos fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 9. The event is from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Big Rapids Eagles #2535, 18361 16 Mile Road Big Rapids, MI 49307. “Open Arms Child Advocacy Center is thrilled to invite everyone in our community to show their support in the fight against child abuse and neglect,” said OACAC Executive Director Laura Britting. “OACAC’s fundraising event promises to be a fun-filled and music-filled evening for everyone. And just as important, the funds we raise can help us provide essential support for the children and families we serve so they can begin the journey toward hope and healing.” OACAC is a nonprofit that provides forensic, medical and other services to victims of child abuse and neglect in Lake, Newaygo, Osceola and Mecosta counties. OACAC located to a new facility in Big Rapids over the summer, recently opening its doors at 621 N. State in Big Rapids. The Big Rapids location is aligned with requirements for OACAC to meet accreditation and certification. OACAC relies on donations for 100% of all operations and programming. As of July, OACAC has conducted 131 interviews across our four-county service area in 2023 and is on pace to pass the number of interviews conducted in 2022.
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![]() By Ken DeLaat “Deep grief sometimes is almost like a specific location, a coordinate on a map of time. When you are standing in that forest of sorrow, you cannot imagine that you could ever find your way to a better place. But if someone can assure you that they themselves have stood in that same place, and now have moved on, sometimes this will bring hope”-Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love Few things are as painful to the human experience as grief over the loss of a loved one. It engulfs our lives and colors our world. In a previous occupational incarnation I was privileged to accompany people on this journey as their therapist. They shared varying depths of emotional pain and I vividly recall hearing statements such as “I never imagined I could hurt this badly and not die.” In 2011 a group from First CRC of Fremont started a GriefShare ministry for the community, a 13 week course involving a video series titled ““Your Journey from Mourning to Joy”, providing a Christ-centered perspective on grieving. Since then the twice yearly series of meetings have provided much needed support to community members who are navigating the stormy waters of the grief process. On September 5th a new series begins. For more information on GriefShare please follow this link https://www.griefshare.org/groups/168980 Gerber Hospital providing free produce via the Veggie Van
FREMONT, Mich. – Spectrum Health Gerber Hospital, part of Corewell Health, is inviting families across Newaygo County to pick up a bag of free, healthy produce when the Veggie Van makes a stop at White Cloud Community Library, 1038 E. Wilcox Ave., from 2 to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 23. The goal of the Veggie Van program is to ensure fresh fruits and vegetables are available to people, especially to those who may otherwise have limited access to fresh produce. The bags of produce will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The Veggie Van will make two additional appearances in Newaygo County from 2 to 4 p.m. on the following dates/locations:
In addition to providing fresh fruits and vegetables, children and adults alike can enjoy free fitness opportunities. Tamarac, the Center for Health and Wellbeing, will be on-site offering Zumba for children and adults on Aug. 23 and Oct. 18. The Veggie Van is a mobile farmers market featuring regionally grown, top-quality fruit and vegetables, and is a joint project of Corewell Health and the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids. Why the three day wait for marriage licenses? Well according to most sources we probed this is to allow time for couples to think things out and be certain they are making the right decision. Interesting, huh? If you get to the point where you have proposed or been proposed to and made your way to the clerk’s office to sign up for a license one might think you had perhaps mulled the decision over a time or two. But perhaps not. In more than half of our states there’s no waiting period at all including Nevada and we wonder how many tied the knot halfway through a Vegas vacay and later wished they’d taken a bit of time to ponder the nuptials. In Wisconsin it’s a 6 day wait since apparently folks from the Badger state have a bit more to ponder. In Florida it’s 3 days but you can marry the same day if you have taken a state-sanctioned marriage preparation course within the last 12 months. For those of us who may have struggled a bit academically this begs the question on whether it's necessary to pass the course. “We're sorry Sir. Your fiance’ aced it but you fell quite a bit short so we’ve encouraged her to look for another candidate if she’s set on getting hitched today.” Here are the recent applicants who have decided to embark on the wonderfully mysterious adventure known as marriage. James Aishe, Newaygo & Kristina Wiseman, Newaygo Carolyn Berry, South Haven & Brent Baker, Newaygo Brian Duey, Grand Rapids & Natasha Beacher, Portsmouth England Skye Nichols, Newaygo & Michael Peters, Coopersville Kelsey Lentz Fremont & Randy Sheteron, Grant Beth DeCheney, Hesperia & ALan Geno, Hesperia “A happy marriage is a long conversation which always seems too short.”-Andre Maurois and...Commission on Aging has market coupons available for seniors By Ken DeLaat There is nothing that says summertime quite so superbly as a stroll through a Michigan farm market. The visuals alone make for a pleasant experience with fruits and vegetables displaying a spray of color augmented by the occasional stand offering floral bouquets. And here we are in prime time for our markets. The season has kicked into high gear with a wider variety of locally grown goodies provided by the most valued vendors who set up their tables for our viewing (and purchasing) pleasure. We recently visited the Newaygo Market and met one of their newest members, Trippy Hippie Farms who venture down from their White Cloud location on Fridays then turn around and make an appearance at the Fremont Market on Saturdays. Tom Nolan and Lisa Renye have been farming in the area near the flowing well up in The Cloud for a couple of years now. We love their spirit, having plucked this gem from their facebook page today, “Join us at Newaygo Farmers Market tomorrow to win a prize if you guess Zeke the zucchini’s weight correctly!” The next day in Fremont we struck up a conversation with Jaimie Price who had some seriously scrumptious baked goods on display. Having always enjoyed baking Ms. Price decided to take a stab at going public with her creations. If all goes well the goal would be a brick and mortar bakery and the opinion of the N3 World Headquarters staff is decidedly in favor of this goal because the world has far too few bakeries. Check out the cupcakes at Great Bakes. Divine! Grant, Newaygo and Fremont each put on weekly multi-vendor markets. Newaygo is often accompanied by a food truck and sometimes entertainment as well.
And here is a really cool thing: At the Commission on Aging, there is a program running currently to provide seniors over 60 with $25 coupons to use at Farmers Markets. There are still coupons available throughout the month of August for those who qualify. Market hours Grant Saturdays 9am-1pm Newaygo Fridays 2-6pm Fremont Saturdays 8am-1pm |
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