Demonstration decries School Board decision on health clinic On a drizzly Saturday morning dozens of folks gathered at a parking lot in Grant as a show of support for retaining the Grant Child and Adolescent Health Clinic. Recent actions by the Grant School Board involved severing the ties with Family Health Care who has been providing the clinic to the school since 2010. FHC also has a similar clinic located in White Cloud Schools, a partnership that began years prior to the opening of the Grant facility. The four members of the school board who voted to cut ties with the program were Ken Thorne, Rachal Gort, Sabrina Veltkamp-Blok and Richard Vance and the signage carried by some in the group pointed to their unhappiness with the foursome for making that decision. Megan Wirts, parent of a Grant school student and Grant alumnus organized the event receiving help from a number of community members . The group began the rally chanting “Our school is under attack… What do we do? Take it back!” and similar slogans. The group then began a march down to a parking lot a few blocks away hoisting signs supporting the Health Center. “I’m here to help support the kids, to help support the clinic, and to help bring awareness to the fact that our school board is trying to take accessible health care, mental health services and dental services away from our kids and our schools,” said Pam Hawley one of the many who participated in the walk. “I find it amazing how our little town has rallied together and it’s great to see all these people here to support our kids.” Once the group arrived Wirts introduced a series of speakers beginning with Pastor Jon Riedel of the Newaygo United Church of Christ. “It is my concern that this community, through its elected officials, is turning its back on its neighbors. To be a neighbor is to accommodate, to accept and to care. We as a community work together to provide a safe place for people to receive health care and mental health care. “I will stand behind you. Our church will stand behind you. Because we believe in fair and free access to health care where it's needed.. Because we believe in fair access to mental health services where needed. Because we believe there is room enough for everyone at the table.” Rob Schuitema, the lone dissenting vote on the board on the CAHC decision also spoke, stating he was speaking not as a school board member but as a community member. Schuitema praised the teachers, administrators support staff and all who “take care of our kids every day” “For the last 12 years we’ve had this health care that anyone can access in our building. It is such a unique and rare thing to have in the district. It has literally saved lives and I am dumbfounded that there are people who want to take that away. Our job is to give every opportunity that will ensure our kids have what they need to help them succeed in life.” He went on to point out the positives the CAHC has brought to the schools and recognized the obstacles ahead for supporters of the clinic. “We are in this together. It may be hard and it may get harder but we will not give up.” We caught up with organizer Megan Wirts after the event.
“Today’s rally to save the Grant Child and Adolescent Health Center was remarkable! The community showed up and united together to say that we care about our kids and their overall well-being. We know that the CAHC is a place that not only cares about our kids, but saves lives. The community doesn’t want the CAHC to close. “The atmosphere was positive and enthusiastic! Everyone that showed up, helped out, and took a stand for our kids is greatly appreciated. It was a team effort and it came together really well. “This was a way for us to raise awareness about what is happening here and let the 4 board members that chose to close it that they are doing the wrong thing. We want the Grant Child and Adolescent Health Center to stay.” The Grant School Board will meet this Monday, July 10th at 6pm. The meeting will be held at the Grant Fine Arts Center
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
CategoriesArchives
February 2025
|