The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says there are now more than a thousand registered doulas in Michigan. That includes 700 doulas who take Medicaid.

Doulas are trained non-medical professionals who provide birth assistance, including emotional and physical support, and help families navigate the birthing experience. 

Dawn Shanafelt is the Director of the Division of Maternal & Infant Health for MDHHS. She says the state has surpassed its goal of registering 500 doulas through the Doula Registry by 2028, doubling that number as of last week. 

“What’s next for the program is to continue to support our existing doulas that are part of the registry. So the one thousand plus doulas. And then we are really focusing on enrollment and recruitment of doulas in areas where the number of doulas that are available for families is lower, and then also for special populations.”

Shanafelt says that includes populations that speak a language other than English, Indigenous populations, and teenage parents.  

She says having doula-assisted births reduces birth complications and medical interventions, shortens the duration of labor, and increases breastfeeding support. Babies also tend to have healthier birth weights.  

MDHHS has added a mobile food distribution site in Hamtramck, partnering with Forgotten Harvest.

The On-the-Go popup pantry will provide food pick-up for people who schedule appointments. There are options for fresh produce and grains and culturally appropriate foods such as halal or kosher options.

MDHHS says they will select and offer similar mobile food pantry options in Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties every month. The next one in Hamtramck will be held tomorrow Tuesday, Nov. 26 at the MDHHS office located at 12140 Jos Campau St. in Hamtramck.

People can make an appointment by emailing [email protected].  Dial 211 or visit mi211.org online for free referrals to food pantries.  

A Hamtramck-based artist residency program is receiving a $175,000 award.

Entry Points is a program which offers housing and studio space for returning citizens who were formerly incarcerated juveniles. The nonprofit is receiving the 2025 J.M.K Innovation Award. The award is given by the J.M. Kaplan Fund to 10 awardees for their work in tackling social justice, environmental conservation, and heritage preservation.  

Entry Point was created by artist-activist Jonathan Rajewski and writer and former juvenile lifer Kyle Daniel-Bey through Hamtramk Free School, an alternative educational organization that facilitates creative writing and art workshops in Michigan prisons, working with juveniles who were sentenced to life without parole.   

Entry Points helps returning citizens reintegrate into public life, including presenting their work publicly.  

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy is awarding $2.9 million to several groups to reduce pollution in waterways.

The Nonpoint Source Program grants will fund eight projects aimed at eliminating runoff at nonpoint sources which come from farms, urban areas and construction sites.

This occurs when there is rain, snowmelt, or when the wind carries pollutants into waterways. The grants will help repair waterways to reduce sediment, nutrients, and bacteria.  

If there is something happening in your neighborhood that you think we should know about, drop us a line at [email protected].