COLE GASKIN
Student of the Month
Cole accepted an offer to say a few words after receiving his award. This offer is rarely accepted, but his message was inspiring and brought a standing ovation. As a formerly overweight bullied student, he decided to change his life by just being nice to others . . . regardless of their treatment of him. Ultimately, he changed attitudes and now is a positive influence on others. His goal is to try and make an impact in any way that he can. A true model of the 4-way test.
EXTENDED GRACE
Barbara Lee was our presenter. She is the head of a grassroots nonprofit company of social engagement entitled Extended Grace. Extended Grace operates out of the Momentum Center located at 714 Columbus, in Grand Haven. Extended Grace is a 501(C)(3) organization.
There is a different social theme each month at Extended Grace and within each topic there are a number of approaches:
- Cultural Immersion. Trying to see how other people see things. Extended Grace will organize trips to other countries to support this purpose. Destinations include China in March, and Egypt in October.
- Community Conversation. Town Hall type meetings. The next one is in February. The topic is Sexual Assault.
- Inspire Events. Third Saturday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Momentum Center. This month the topic is Racism.
- Dinner and a Movie Nights. These are tied to the theme of the month.
- Community Training and Workshops. An example would be CPR training.
Extended Grace does have MUDITA Fund monies available for worthwhile projects. These grants are $500.00 each and seek to support world changing ideas.
Extended Grace is run by a seven member Board of Directors and other advisors. All funding for Extended Grace is by way of donations which are tax deductible. Information can be obtained via its website. One can help in other ways by attending events and/or volunteering; or by donating to their current fund drive to purchase a wheelchair accessible van.
The Momentum Center is separately funded by a separate millage as part of the County Mental Health Budget. The facility has a café and recreational and meeting areas. It is not a drop off center. Anyone who needs that kind of assistance must be accompanied.
The building is used for the meetings of various support groups, by Extended Grace, and by volunteers and is open seven days a week. Extended Grace is closely tied to the Momentum Center. Thank you Barb for defining this project.
Raffle Loser: Craig Cather
Raffle Winner: Ed Grafton