Public Service Announcement

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued a public service announcement concerning the Hamas attack in Israel and potential impacts on communities within the United States. At this time, there is no specific intelligence suggesting a planned attack within the United States. The FBI and its partners will continue to monitor the situation in Israel for potential domestic public safety threats.

If you become aware of any threat or suspicious activity, please report that information immediately to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.If the activity involves imminent violence or threat to life, call 911

Important information for U.S citizens in Israel and Palestinian territories

Credential Evaluation Training

The WES Gateway Program seeks to further the academic and career goals of qualified individuals who, because of adverse circumstances in their country of education, lack standard proof of academic achievement.

Check out the latest training video HERE – Click on Image for Application

Click HERE for presentation Slides

Companionship Workshop

Saturday, November 18 from 9:00 am – 12:30 pm to Victory Point Ministries 11530 Ransom St, Holland, MI 49424

Have you ever wondered how to sustainably support someone in distress without burning out?

Movement West Michigan & Doors of Hope are providing a Companionship workshop on how to support the individuals in your community who live with mental illness, insecure housing, or chemical dependency and move from a transactional exchange to relational engagement, enabling substantive change with Companionship. Register here by November 15th to claim your spot!

Reconnecting Families

Armed conflict, international disasters and migration leave millions of people around the globe in urgent need of humanitarian assistance every year. As the world’s largest humanitarian network, Red Cross and Red Crescent teams help reconnect families separated by international crises.

Click on Red Cross Image for a Poster in Multiple Languages!

KDL New Phone Interpreting Service

Kent District Library now offers live phone interpreting services in more than 200 languages, ensuring greater access to its collections, programs and services. Through the new over-the-phone service, patrons who speak languages other than English are now able to connect with KDL staff members.

Over the Phone Interpretation (OPI)  

Community Health Needs Assessment Survey

Now available in more languages and we need your help to ensure immigrant and refugee voices are included in community health needs!

Every three years, the Kent County Health Department, local health systems, and community-based organizations conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). During the CHNA process, data is collected to get the fullest picture of health and wellbeing in Kent County. The data is used to prioritize health-related issues that the Health Department and hospitals address in a Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). CHNA data is also used by community-based organizations and other agencies for grant funding, to strengthen existing programs, and/or create new initiatives to meet the current needs of the people they serve.

Results from the survey will be used to help determine health priorities that will be addressed over the next 3 years, as well as provide important data for communities working to meet the needs of residents.

The survey is now available in Arabic, Kinyarwanda, Spanish, Swahili, and Vietnamese!

We invite residents to take the survey and encourage community leaders and organizations to share the survey!

Take the 2023 CHNA Survey!

Community Partners: Help promote the 2023 CHNA Survey

Barrier Removal and Employment Success

The application deadline is Friday, October 20, 2023. Awards will be announced Tuesday, November 28, 2023.

The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity is accepting proposals for funding to support the removal of barriers to employment and reemployment for at-risk individuals. The Barrier Removal and Employment Success (BRES) Expansion Program funding will facilitate diversity, equity, and inclusion, striving to increase employment for opportunity populations and hidden talent.

Awarded Sponsorship Support Grant

The Office of Global Michigan (OGM) is pleased to announce that it has awarded Sponsorship Support Program grants to: Hispanic Center of Western Michigan, and Freedom House Detroit. These programs will work to support CHNV program sponsors in navigating the sponsorship process, and support humanitarian parolees arriving under the CHNV program to overcome barriers to integration and self-sufficiency.

Office of Global Michigan

Departmental Specialist 13 – Equity and Inclusion Coordinator | Job Details tab | Career Pages (governmentjobs.com)

Deadline to apply: 5pm on October 31^st

This position will support the strategic work for the MI DEI leadership team, coordinate and provide training to the Michigan Equity and Inclusion Officers (EIO) and provide technical assistance to the core leadership team. They will analyze research and metric outcomes to make recommendations to OGM leadership and the EIOs for strategic planning.

Departmental Technician 7-E9 – Equity and Inclusion Assistant | Job Details tab | Career Pages (governmentjobs.com)

Deadline to apply: 5pm on October 30^th

This position will support the Statewide Language Access plan and the work of the Michigan Equity and Inclusion Officers.

Please email Eva S. Alexander  AlexanderE5@michigan.gov with any questions