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New Grants Support Community Programs with Law Enforcement

The Board of Trustees of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County (CFMC) recently approved $16,000 in grant awards for the second year of a competitive grant program designed to foster excellent relationships between law enforcement officials and members of the community.

“Relationships between youth and law enforcement have become a national issue,” said Janelle Mair, director of grantmaking. “These grants give a boost to community organizations that want to be proactive and engage our youth in getting to know the people keeping them safe.”

Grant requests could be initiated by any Muskegon County police department, or by a school, organization, or governmental unit partnership with a law enforcement agency.

Grant awards are:

  • $2,000 to Mt. Zion Church of God in Christ to support Club 188 as they incorporate Law and Order All Lives Matter activities into their cultural arts summer program for urban youth, age 13-18.
  • $4,500 to the City of Muskegon to expand G.R.E.A.T (Gang Resistance Education and Training) Muskegon, a program in partnership with the Muskegon Police Department, and Muskegon Public Schools targeting fifth- and seventh-grade youth. G.R.E.A.T. is designed to help young people by building skills to set goals, resist pressure and positively resolve conflicts.
  • $9,500 to Muskegon Heights Police to implement a summer baseball program for boys and girls, age 8-11.

“We’re excited to see the police officers serving as coaches, creating an authentic opportunity for positive interaction between kids and law enforcement,” said Chris McGuigan, CFMC president/CEO. “That’s exactly what attracted us to this grant. We hope the community turns out to support the teams!”