KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Monday, the City of Kalamazoo approved the budget for Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo (SPK) based on recommendations from the organization.
According to city documents, it is SPK’s objective to make poverty reduction a key priority for the City. To do so, SPK identified three distinct, but interrelated goals to carry out its work:
- Increase access to good jobs,
- ensure the healthy growth, development, and learning of all our youth, and
- create strong families.
During a virtual meeting, The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners heard a presentation from Kevin Ford, project coordinator from SPK.
Ford says the ultimate goal is to elevate system changes and help the most vulnerable members of the community, while making sure it is done equitably in the processes.
Based on research by SPK, the idea is to take a two-generational approach to help both families with both children and adults alike.
Documents explain the reasoning below:
“Core components of 2 Gen consist of social capital, early childhood education, K-12, postsecondary & employment pathways, health & well-being, and economic assets. The 2 Gen approach provides families with opportunities to further their education, build social capital, maintain their physical and mental health, and increase economic well-being and overall stability.
While the benefits of quality early childhood education (ECE) and out-of-school time programming (OST) are well known, the likelihood of a child succeeding later in life is still affected by the education and income levels of his or her parents.”
Based on research into programs that would help vulnerable residents, SPK was asking Commissioners to approve a budget of $839,905.
That money would be distributed as follows, according to SPK:
- Kalamazoo County Ready 4’s – $132,000 – Payment over 2 years.
- Kalamazoo Literacy Council – $93,500 – 1 year.
- Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services (KNHS) – $100,000 – 1 year.
- KRESA – $110,000 – 1 year.
- Northside Association for Community Development (NACD) – $130,000 – 2 years.
- Parents for Transition – $10,000 – Less than one year
- Rootead – $60,000 – 1 year.
- YWCA – $140,000 – 2 years.
In addition, another $64,405 would be made available under the budget for the following purposes:
- Customized Grantee Partner Supports
- Media/Narrative Work
- Responding to Urgent Community Need
After the presentation and further discussions, the Commissioners voted to approve the budget for SPK.
To find out more about how the organizations will use the money, readers can view city documents at the following links:
Readers can also view a recording of the city meeting on YouTube by clicking here.
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