Nonprofit Center Open House Scheduled for April 5th
A group of nonprofit organizations will host an open house on Thursday, April 5 from 4:00-7:00 pm. Special announcements will take place at 5:00 pm. The event will be held at the newly established Isabella County Nonprofit Center, located at 1114 W. High Street in Mt. Pleasant. The public is welcome to tour the facility.
According to the 2017 United Way ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Report, 23% of Isabella County households with children are living in poverty (income below $24k). Another 23% are ALICE families, which means they earn less than the Household Survival Budget of approximately $54k per year for a family of four in Isabella County. Millions of dollars are spent annually to support those in need by dozens of social service agencies in Isabella County. In addition, more than 1,000 citizens volunteer each year to supply food, shelter, clothing, medical care and many other services. Yet poverty levels remain intractable. In 2014, several nonprofit organizations started to meet to discuss working more collaboratively. In 2017, an expanded group proposed the formation of a nonprofit center in Isabella County.
The Isabella County Nonprofit Center seeks to foster strong collaboration among key social service agencies by developing a shared physical space and cooperative interactions to: 1) address the most pressing needs of the large proportion of citizens in Isabella County living in or near poverty; and 2) create synergies throughout the community to reduce poverty levels in Isabella County over time. Partner agencies currently housed within the Center include Community Compassion Network (ccnfeeds.org), Clothing INC (mpnaz.com/clothing-inc), Isabella County Restoration House (icrhouse.org), and The Care Store (communitychurchlife.org/carestore). Critical services for those in need--food, shelter, clothing and personal care items--are now located under one roof, increasing efficiency and improving support. Long term, the partners engaged with the Center are also committed to reducing overall poverty levels in our community. The Center will coordinate the development and implementation of services to train individuals with the necessary potential abilities to find, perform and keep employment.
There is no fee to attend the open house, but space is limited. Donations to the Center may be made to the Nonprofit Service Center Fund at the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation (mpacf.org). Questions about the open house should be directed to Amanda Schafer at (989) 773-7322. Questions about the services provided within the Center should be directed to the relevant partner agency. Follow “Isabella County Nonprofit Service Center” on Facebook for regular updates