United Way of Washtenaw County

The number of domestic violence and sexual assault cases are not going down. In fact, in many areas, it’s going up. In Washtenaw County, there have been four fatal incidents of intimate partner violence in the last year. Christine Watson is executive director of SafeHouse Center in Washtenaw County, and it is struggling to meet the needs of all those in need. Christine speaks to WEMU's David Fair to provide some insights into what is needed to better address these issues as a community.

Ypsilanti-based SOS Community Services and its "Parents as Teachers" program helps parents learn how to foster healthy growth and development for their children. It's community building, one family at a time. Rhonda Weathers and Rana Smith head up the program and joined WEMU's David Fair to detail the program and its community impact.

Food insecurity is growing in Washtenaw County, and your local postal worker is doing something about it. On Saturday, May 13th, letter carriers in our community will participate in "National Stamp Out Hunger Day." When delivering your mail, postal workers will pick up the non-perishable food items you leave out and turn it all over to Food Gatherers for distribution. John Odegard is president of Local Branch 434 of the National Association of Letter Carriers. He joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the program and why letter carriers are working to make a different kind of difference for the people they serve.

The number of working poor in Washtenaw County is on the rise. Those are employed people that don’t make enough money to cover basics like housing, food and transportation. A new report shows more than 27% of all households in Washtenaw County live in these circumstances. That’s a significant jump from pre-pandemic levels. Bridget Herrmann is Vice President of Impact and Advocacy for the United Way of Washtenaw County. She joined WEMU's David Fair with details on the report and the efforts underway to address many of the underlying issues in finding a path forward to a better future.

Providing inspiration, literacy, and culture to the African American children in our community. That's the mission of the Topaze Project in Washtenaw County. The project was founded by Kallista Marie. Through personal experience, she has become dedicated to making Black children feel seen, heard and loved while also developing reading skills and sense of family and history. She joined WEMU's David Fair to share her work and passion.

Earth Day comes back around this year on April 22nd. The theme of the 2023 observance is “Invest in our Planet.” When we think of investment, we almost always think of money, but we’re focusing on investment in education and awareness. WEMU's David Fair catches up with Susan Westhoff. She is president and executive director of the Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum and Leslie Science and Nature Center. In her conversation with David Fair, you'll find out how those investments are paying off in our community.

When the pandemic hit and we shut down, those living paycheck-to-paycheck suddenly faced the prospect of going hungry. But federal money was dedicated to providing a safety net. Many of those additional benefits have now ended, and not everyone is back to work and on their financial feet. So what now? Locally, an emergency food fund was established, and that program will continue as benefits for the SNAP assistance program drop. Markell Miller is director of Community Food Programs at Food Gatherers in Ann Arbor. She joined WEMU's David Fair to share the ongoing efforts to keep people fed.

Giving back. It's the manner in which Melvin Parson chooses to live his life, one person or one neighborhood at a time. And Melvin's intention to make a difference has been realized. Melvin is founder of the 'We the People Opportunity Farm' in Ypsilanti. One of the ways Melvin and the farm give back is with a no-cost, food distribution program, and right now, a primary focus is on taking care of people in the Sugarbrook neighborhood, Melvin shared the inspirational story and filled us in on what comes next in his conversation with WEMU's David Fair.

Addressing trauma-related mental health more equitably will be the focus of a high school elective course in Washtenaw County next fall. The idea is addressing trauma earlier in life creates better outcomes. The non-profit “Growing Forward Together” is creating an intervention class called Trauma & Society. Co-founder and CEO, Julia Seng, joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss development and implementation of a new and innovative approach.

There is increased focus on promoting and highlighting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in Washtenaw County. In fact, Destination Ann Arbor has created a new series called, "Walking the Walk." It puts a spotlight on local businesses living the DEI promise , impacting the local quality of life and making the county a more attractive tourist destination. Destination Ann Arbor's Amy Karbo joined us with all the information on how "talking the talk" is evolving into "walking the walk."