Features

Past Youth Council members meet to discuss grantmaking.

Kids and Education

Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation seeks input from all county youth to guide grantmaking decisions

Emily BendaWednesday, December 9, 2020

The 25 high school students on the AAACF Youth Council distribute $80,000 in grants annually. This year, for the first time, their Youth Needs Assessment covered not just Ann Arbor young people, but all young county residents.

Women in Philanthropy members Peggy Liggit, Anne Casper, Elise Buggs, and Heather Neff at the group's fall 2019 meeting.

Community Development

EMU's Women in Philanthropy group marks 10 years and $500,000 in grants awarded

Sarah RiggWednesday, December 9, 2020

Voting members of the group, made up of faculty, administrators, and retirees from EMU, pledge to give $3,000 towards grantmaking over three years, and are eligible to vote on which projects to fund.

Arts and Culture

Ebird and Friends holiday musical revue to stream online for free

Jaishree Drepaul-BruderWednesday, December 9, 2020

In pre-pandemic times, the popular annual show has been held at the Ark, featuring a large, diverse group of musicians from across Michigan performing holiday-themed songs.

Arts and Culture

Ypsi-based podcast seeks commonalities between older and younger generations during COVID-19

Sarah RiggWednesday, December 2, 2020

The new project aims to create intergenerational dialogues between local elders and younger college-aged residents.

SpellBound's ARISE product takes patients on a mission to rebuild a virtual coral reef.

Technology and Innovation

Ann Arbor-based SpellBound adapts augmented reality products to motivate patients in isolation

Emily BendaWednesday, December 2, 2020

SpellBound founder and CEO Christina York was concerned that her company might not survive the pandemic, but she and her team found a new need for SpellBound's technology.

A woman works on a laptop in her car at Ypsilanti Community Middle School, where a new public Wi-Fi hotspot will be located.

Technology and Innovation

New initiatives address Washtenaw County digital divide with public Wi-Fi hotspots, online resources

Jaishree Drepaul-BruderWednesday, December 2, 2020

One new initiative will create over 50 public Wi-Fi hotspots in Southeast Michigan, including 30 in Washtenaw County. Another aims to alleviate digital access issues for older adults in the county.

The Washtenaw County Food Policy Council.

Healthy Communities

Washtenaw County Food Policy Council annual report highlights food insecurity dashboard

Emily BendaWednesday, December 2, 2020

The council, a sub-committee of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners, includes representatives from various sectors of the local food system, including education, economic development, and waste management.

A 1961 photo from the Ann Arbor News shows a protest outside the Urban Renewal office in Ypsilanti. Historian Lee Azus discusses urban renewal in the city on the new episode of the "Ypsi Stories" podcast.

Arts and Culture

Ypsilanti District Library launches its first podcast, focusing on local history

Sarah RiggWednesday, December 2, 2020

The library has launched a new podcast called "Ypsi Stories," which aims to spotlight lesser-known stories of Ypsilanti's past and provide a community resource.

Community Development

After a big win at the polls, here's what's next for affordable housing in Ann Arbor

Sarah RiggWednesday, November 18, 2020

Ann Arbor's Proposal C affordable housing millage passed with about 73% of the vote in the Nov. 3 election, but local housing affordability advocates stress that there's still work to do.

Kids and Education

Grassroots video series enlists Ypsi-area leaders of color to read children's books

Sarah RiggWednesday, November 18, 2020

In less than two months, Ypsilanti resident Kallista Walker has created over three dozen read-along videos featuring small business owners, pastors, firefighters, public safety officers, and government officials.

Association of Businesses of Color cofounders Ylondia Portis and Brian Jones-Chance.

Entrepreneurship

New association helps Washtenaw County businesses of color recover from COVID-19

Sarah RiggWednesday, November 18, 2020

While the Ypsilanti-based Association of Businesses of Color was established this summer to help its members, the help is flowing both ways.

U-M students connect with each other over a Facetime call.

Kids and Education

Wolverine Voices: Despite pandemic, U-M students find ways to connect on and off campus

Kashika Chhabra, Corinne Hinson, Paige Leistra, Madeline Simmon, Mason Steere, and Rachel TairWednesday, November 18, 2020

Instead of cheering on the Wolverines at the Big House, attending weekly tailgates, and freely socializing with peers on campus, U-M students have had to adapt to a completely new social normal this fall.

Technology and Innovation

Job seekers can connect virtually with Ann Arbor-area companies at this year's Tech Homecoming

Emily BendaWednesday, November 18, 2020

Tech Homecoming is traditionally held in person on the night before Thanksgiving, encouraging those who are visiting family in Ann Arbor to consider relocating here for work, but COVID-19 prompted the switch to a virtual platform this year.

Hope Clinic staff hand out turkeys and bags of fixings to those who have signed up for them.

Healthy Communities

Ypsilanti's Hope Clinic offers Thanksgiving baskets, Christmas gift cards for those in need

Sarah RiggWednesday, November 18, 2020

Staff at the clinic knew they had to adapt their holiday traditions to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, so they've created carryout Thanksgiving baskets and are working on changes to their Christmas programs.

Washtenaw County Community Mental Health's Crisis Negotiation Team members.

Healthy Communities

Here are the results of the first full year of Washtenaw County's mental health millage

Jaishree Drepaul-BruderWednesday, November 18, 2020

County-wide expansion of services, new law enforcement training programs, service launches in underserved rural communities, and anti-stigma campaign activities are just some of the highlights.

Arts and Culture

During COVID, Washtenaw County theater companies find temporary creative outlet in streaming plays

Jenn McKeeWednesday, November 11, 2020

Facebook Live, Zoom, and YouTube are among the only safe means of presenting theater to an audience during the pandemic, and companies have adopted online platforms in a variety of ways.

Cuppy's Best Soulful Cafe owner Andrea "Cuppy" White.

Entrepreneurship

Ypsi restaurants innovate to survive winter in pandemic

Sarah RiggWednesday, November 11, 2020

Ypsilanti restaurateurs are employing a variety of strategies to stay strong through the COVID-19 pandemic this winter.

An infographic showing how COVID-19 spreads.

Healthy Communities

Ypsi-area contact tracers emphasize importance of community cooperation in controlling pandemic

Sarah RiggWednesday, November 11, 2020

If contact tracer workers and volunteers in the Ypsilanti area could get one message across to the public, it would be, "When we call, please pick up."

Healthy Communities

Ann Arbor YMCA introduces dedicated swim time for LGBTQ+ community

Jaishree Drepaul-BruderWednesday, November 11, 2020

The new offering, which is open to LGBTQ+ individuals and their families and friends, was created at the request of a group of local LGBTQ youth.