Michigan Voices

Oct. 13, 2024 ~ The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and Molitico are teaming up to launch a comprehensive voter registration and turnout initiative – Arab.Vote. This bilingual voter tool will focus on mobilizing Arab American voters in key battleground states like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Host Marie Osborne spoke with Abed Ayoub, the national director of the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee.

The Women of Aerospace Industry Association of Michigan (WAIAM) announced the third annual Michigan Girls Future Flight Challenge (MGFFC), a virtual statewide aerospace competition for Michigan girls in fourth through eighth grades, featuring mentorship from professional women. Registration will open on July 17, 2025, followed by a virtual kick-off on Oct. 9. Final presentations will be delivered virtually on Nov. 12. We spoke with spokesperson Lissa Barron.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the Butterfly Collective works as a nonprofit in Southeast Michigan to support domestic violence survivors. Heidi McQuade, president of the Butterfly Collective, joins the show to talk about the organization's mission, which focuses on providing financial aid, emotional support, and resources for survivors to rebuild their lives. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.

Oct. 6, 2024 ~ October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the Pink Fund provides financial support to help patients meet basic needs, decrease stress levels, and allow breast cancer patients in active treatment to focus on healing while improving survivorship outcomes. The 90-day grant program allows Pink Fund to meet the critical expenses for housing, transportation, utilities, and insurance for those battling breast cancer. Pink Fund co-founder Moly MacDonald said a breast cancer diagnosis can destroy the financial health and well-being of the patient and their family.

Guest Ashia Brown, executive director of MiVoted Michigan, joins the show to talk about MIVoted, an initiative designed to help young and new voters figure out the best way to cast their ballot this year. A new ballot initiative passed by Michigan voters in 2022 officially allows four ways for voters to make their voices heard this election season. Brown said the website has graphics and language designed to specifically reach young voters, but is non-partisan. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.

Sept. 29, 2024 ~ The Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic in Pontiac has been changing and saving lives at no cost to its patients. Mary Lewis, the CEO of the clinic, said they serve uninsured and underinsured people across Michigan, and was the passion project of the late Dr. Gary Burnstein. The clinic gives patients access to more than 300 volunteer providers across 11 specialties and they have provided free care for over 3,500 patients and gave away over $2 million in medications.

This is Rail Safety Week, so officer Dave Salamas joins the show to talk about rail safety and reminders for the public to take all railroad crossings seriously. See Tracks? Think Train® Week is about working together and sharing rail safety information to keep communities and people knowledgeable and safe around trains, tracks, and railway property. During the week, police officers across the country work to make people aware of the dangers of disobeying signals at railway crossings and of trespassing on rail tracks and property. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.

Sept. 22, 2024 ~ Operation Christmas Child uses a shoe box gift as an opportunity to reach children around the world with a Christmas gift they otherwise would not receive. Since 1993, more than 220 million shoe box gifts have been collected and distributed through Samaritan's Purse. Michigan spokesperson Oliver Aheimer talks about this year's efforts to collect boxes in southeast Michigan during National Collection Week Nov. 18-25. In 2024, the organization hopes to collect enough shoebox gifts to reach 12 million children around the world.

The Zekelman Holocaust Center will mark 40 years as Michigan’s only Holocaust museum at its 40th Anniversary Benefit on Sunday, Nov. 10, at Huntington Place in Detroit. Mark Mulder, director of curatorial affairs, talks about the work of the center in the community through its commitment to teaching the public about the Holocaust and the conditions that lead to genocide. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.

Sept. 8, 2024 ~ Michigan Humane, founded in 1877, is the oldest and largest nonprofit animal welfare organization in the state. Michigan Humane is dedicated to helping the animals of southeastern Michigan, whether in shelters, veterinary clinics, or out in the community. President and CEO Matt Pepper said Michigan Humane operates six facilities dedicated to caring for animals and their families throughout metro Detroit. They also have adoption partnerships with Premier Pet Supply, Petco, and PetSmart, along with operating a Cruelty Investigation Department and a Statewide Animal Response Team. Learn more at michiganhumane.org.

Linda Solomon has dedicated her career to photography education for children and youth. She is the founder and creator of the national award-winning “Pictures of Hope” educational program and foundation, founded more than 20 years ago. “Pictures of Hope” provides cameras to children living in homeless shelters throughout the U.S., with Solomon having brought the program to homeless children and youth in 52 cities. She talked about her most recent work with Michigan Humane, where children were given cameras to photograph animals at the shelter which will be transformed into greeting cards. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.

Sept. 1, 2024 ~ The Detroit Area Art Deco Society (DAADS) is a Michigan non-profit organization founded in 1986 by a group of collectors and enthusiasts interested in the design and preservation of decorative objects, architecture, and style of the Art Deco period. The organization is operated by a highly dedicated board of directors and a committed pool of on-call volunteers who provide education, documentation, and design assistance to the community. DAADS board member Renee Tady joins the show to discuss the “Guardians of Art Deco” Reception on Sept. 12.

The Coalition on Temporary Shelter, or COTS, has been serving the most vulnerable members of the Detroit Community for 40 years. They provide shelter, affordable and supportive housing, childcare, and other basic needs to alleviate homelessness and advocate for long-term solutions to homelessness in Detroit. Aisha Morrell-Ferguson, the chief development officer, joins the show to talk about those projects and the future of COTS.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.

Aug. 25, 2024 ~ For more than 20 years Angels Place has provided a helping hand to families with developmentally disabled children by offering a wide array of services. Tom Szepanski, CEO of Angles Place, said the group offers an environment of love and compassion, coupled with an atmosphere of acceptance, dignity, friendship, and the potential for personal growth and independence. Angels Place is a Christ-centered community that works to serve their families by providing loving homes and professional support to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Angels Place has more than two dozen homes scattered around the metro area to provide caring homes for residents.

Care YaYa co-founder and CEO Neal Shah joins Michigan Voices to talk about his program, which connects seniors and those needing affordable companion care with pre-health students at top colleges across the country. Shah outlines the elder care crisis unfolding in the country and how the current model of home care is out of date, typically providing home care for a charge of $40 an hour and paying the actual worker only $12 an hour. At Care YaYa, vetted students in the medical field are matched with those needing assistance for $15 to $20 an hour which goes directly to the student worker. Shah said the students are then able to use the experience to work toward their degrees or graduate programs. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.

Aug. 18, 2024 ~ CATCH is an acronym for Caring Athletes Team for Children’s and Henry Ford Hospitals that was founded by the late Detroit Tigers manager Sparky Anderson in 1987. CATCH Executive Director Jim Hughs says dollars from special events and donations have facilitated a steady stream of items and services that help improve the quality of life for thousands of sick and underprivileged children. Since its founding, CATCH has provided more than $10.7 million for this purpose and grown its Board-Designated Endowment Fund to $13 million to help serve the mission in perpetuity.

Bee's in the D was founded in Detroit by Brian Peterson who used money he recieved as winnings from an appearance on Wheel of Fortune. Bees in the D is a group of educators focused on pollinators, specifically honeybees, and provides a model for beekeeping nationally. Through global education and a nationally recognized urban beekeeping model, the group works to increase knowledge around pollinators and are a recognized advocate for honeybees. The nonprofit provides honeybee hives and beekeeping training for schools, businesses, and local municipalities. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.

April 11, 2024 ~ Alissa C. Huth-Bocks, director of the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute and professor at the Department of Psychology at Wayne State University, joins Michigan Voices to talk about the Infant Mental Health Program at Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute and the Early Childhood Support Clinic. These programs provide infant and early childhood mental health services and maternal/caregiver mental health services to parents and children in the community. It is designed to identify those parents who would benefit from mental health services as well as other support services.

Fishing is one of Michigan's great outdoor sports, but there is a threat to the Great Lakes waterways that could stop the sports fishing industry in Michigan. Researchers are working to keep invasive species out of the Great Lakes, with FishPass is the culmination of an effort to reconnect the Boardman/Ottaway River in Traverse City with Lake Michigan. The state of Michigan recently earmarked $1 million in its budget to support the GLFC efforts. Once FishPass is complete, the goal is to create replicable technology that can be used worldwide as a model for invasive species control. Michigan State University researcher Michael Wagner joins Michigan Voices to discuss the project and research. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.

Aug. 4, 2024 ~ Central City Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center, Central City Health provides comprehensive, primary medical, behavioral health, and dental care to residents of Detroit and Wayne County. People are never turned away based on their inability to pay or their lack of insurance. Director Dr. Olivia Croom joins us to talk about "CCH Dental Days" in August, where CCH provides free dental exams and x-rays to the community. The health and wellness initiative is designed to enhance oral health in the community by providing comprehensive dental care to those in need.

The Christ Child Society of Detroit provides services to children in the city of Detroit who have been victims of abuse, neglect, and trauma, with the Christ Child House serving the community for more than 100 years. Spokeswoman Laura Keziah explained Christ Child also has several other programs that serve the community such as the layette program which offers new mothers' necessities for bringing a newborn home. In addition, there is a reading program where volunteers head to local schools to read to children and provide them with books to keep. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.