WYCE's Community Closeup (*conversations concerning issues of importance in West Michigan)

On this episode, host Phil Tower welcomes Daryl Reece, Executive Director and co-founder of the Pieces of Reeces Foundation. The Pieces of Reeces Foundation will once again bring the community together on Saturday, August 9, from 1-8 pm, for their third annual Piecing Together Unity Festival at Rosa Parks Circle. The festival is hosted by the  Pieces of Reece's Foundation . The foundation provides...

In this week's episode, WYCE station manager Phil Tower welcomes Dana Eardley, executive director of Fulton Street Market, and Anissa Mathiasz, assistant market manager at the Fulton Street Market. Fulton Street Market celebrates the power of community and grassroots activism.  Established in 1922, Fulton Street Market has been a staple of Grand Rapids and beyond, evolving to meet the changing nee...

In this episode, WYCE station manager Phil Tower speaks with Wardell Frazier, Jr., Executive Director of The Diatribe, and J-Lin Tamminga, Director of Education at The Diatribe. Both Wardell and J-Lin spoke about the Diatribe Vision: Creating art that is informative because we know that some of the most complex topics can be digested easier through an artistic lens, and that some of the most compl...

In this episode, host Janet Zahn speaks with Sasha Wolff, founder and executive director of Still I Run, as well as Brendan Kelly, licensed therapist and owner and CEO of The Well Being . Both West Michigan organizations have partnered to offer the Starting Line Scholarship, a program designed to remove any barriers that may be blocking individuals from taking up running for mental health. The sch...

In this episode, WYCE. Station Manager Phil Tower welcomes Sharon Caldwell-Newton, Executive Director with CSNIP. CSNIP positively impacts thousands of families each year in our mission to reduce the gap in veterinary care by providing affordable vet care for pet families in our 10-county community. They're here to help---If you have a pet, you already know how powerful the human animal bond i...

On this week's episode, WYCE Station Manager Phil Tower welcomes Jazz McKinney, executive director of The Grand Rapids Pride Center. The mission of The Grand Rapids Pride Center is to create positive change for the 2-SLGBTQ+ community by breaking down barriers, creating awareness, providing inclusive services, and bridging relationships. Jazz spoke about the history of the Pride Center and als...

On this episode, host Janet Zahn welcomes Lakiya Jenkins, executive director of LINC UP, and Donald Thompson, events coordinator with LINC UP. They joined Janet to discuss their upcoming Rock the Block Festival on June 14th in Grand Rapids LINC UP’s Rock the Block brings neighbors, local businesses, and community partners together for a vibrant day of connection, celebration, and culture. It featu...

On this episode, we welcome back Dana Romero-, BSCD. They are the Development Coordinator for Donor Communications at YWCA West Central Michigan.  YWCA West Central Michigan is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and girls, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. The YWCA West Central Michigan seeks to inspire hope and healing.  Where racism and sexism give rise t...

On this episode, WYCE Station Manager Phil Tower speaks with Adrienne Goodstal, the Executive Director of North Kent Connect. North Kent Connect is a Christian service organization committed to improving the lives of all people in northern Kent County by providing access to basic needs and promoting economic independence. They provide a wide variety of services for the clients/individuals they ser...

On this episode, WYCE Station Manager Phil Tower speaks with David Bult, executive director of Next Step of West Michigan , and  Darion Boyd, Carpentry-Community Builder with Next Step of West Michigan. Next Step of West Michigan is a faith-based, social enterprise non-profit that provides job skills training, as well as employment opportunities in construction, manufacturing, and  municipal clean...

On this week's episode, host , John Rumery from WYCE speaks with Lindsay Ellis, a member of the Grand Rapids Women's Chorus. The Grand Rapids Women’s Chorus is dedicated to singing music that celebrates and honors the diversity of women’s lives. Drawing on music from many cultures, the Chorus strives to educate and inspire its community to promote justice, peace, and equality. The chorus i...

On this episode, WYCE's Janet Zahn speaks with Nicole Rapacki, the Recycling Coordinator for the Grand Rapids Department of Public Works. Nicole and Janet spoke about the efforts by the city of Grand Rapids to consider becoming the sole trash hauler for residential properties, according to city officials. The Grand Rapids Department of Public Works leadership has conducted two separate studies...

On this week's episode, host Phil Tower speaks with Noddea Skidmore, the Director of Marketing and Communications with Grand Rapids Civic Theatre. Noddea gave us a preview of the upcoming 20 25–20 26 season at Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, and talked as well about ticket packages that patrons can take advantage of. We also discussed the upcoming "Ten For All" finals and accessibility at the theatre....

On this week's episode, host John Rumery welcomes Lydia Kauffman, a Project Manager at Carnevale and COO at The Tech-Collaborative The Tech Collaborative empowers non-profits with innovative tech solutions, enabling them to maximize their impact. They are committed to nurturing the next generation of tech by providing opportunities for non-traditional talent to thrive in the industry. The Tech...

On this week's program, Station manager, Phil Tower welcomes Whitney Valentine, Director of Education + Exhibitions, with the Saugatuck Center for The Arts, and New York Times best-selling author in speaker Brad Montague. Brad Montague is the keynote speaker for the Curiosity In Action Conference on April 26 at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts. We Hope You Fail Better , is currently on exhibi...

On this week's episode, we welcome John VanderHaagen - Director of Communications, with Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. John provided us with a timely update on some important and newsworthy happenings at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. As the curtain falls on another long West Michigan winter, it's that time of year again when the Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory come...

In this episode, WYCE Station manager, Phil Tower speaks with Nik Thomasma, the Executive Director of The Michigan Music Alliance. The Michigan Music Alliance is presenting the Music Econ Summit at the Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation in partnership with Monk Recordings LLC., Push the City Cipher and Triumph Music Academy. The Music Econ Summit was founded in 2024 by  Monk Mattheus...

In this episode, host, Phil Tower speaks with David Bulkowski, executive director, Disability Advocates of Kent County. Disability Advocates’ mission is “to work alongside persons with disabilities as they seek to lead self-directed lives.”  They provide a wide array of services throughout Kent, Mecosta, Ionia, Montcalm, and Osceola counties to individuals with physical, cognitive, mental, and sen...

In this episode, we welcome Darius Colquitt, Founder, President, Producing & Artistic Director, of BAM Talent. BAM (or Black Art Matters) Talent, was created & founded in 2021 as a forward-thinking organization, located in Grand Rapids, MI., dedicated to celebrating, promoting, and advocating for Black and underrepresented artists.  BAM works as a national nonprofit, providing both trainin...

On this week's program, WYCE Station Manager Phil Tower speaks with comedian Brian Atkinson, plus therapist Matt Sharpe and radio & podcast host Rick Vuyst. All three are set to appear with Kyle Underwood, and special guest Terri DeBoer in a Clean Comedy Show at the Wealthy Theatre, Wednesday, March 26. The event is billed as "Live From Wealthy Street: A night of clean comedy with Kyl...

On this week's episode, host Phil Tower welcome Bing Goei, cofounder of the West Michigan, Asian American Association.  Founded roughly 16 years ago, the West Michigan Asian American Association, Inc. is a Michigan nonprofit corporation that seeks to build a collaborative, active, and committed Asian American community in West Michigan with a focus on healthcare, education, and civic engagemen...

On this episode, host & WYCE Station Manager Phil Tower welcomes Sophia Ward Brewer, Serials and Collection Development Librarian at GRCC and Vice President of the Greater GR Women's History Council. Sophia recently gave a presentation at Grand Rapids Public Library titled  Tracing the Steps | African American Women During the Progressive Era in Grand Rapids Sophia’s done a significant amo...

On this week's episode, WYCE Station Manager Phil Tower speaks with  Thelma Ensink, executive director of Dégagé Ministries. Dégagé Ministries, established in 1967,  offers hope and opportunity to those facing homelessness and poverty in our community. Dégagé Ministries was started in the basement of the Salvation Army at 160 Fountain Street NE in 1967 as a coffee house for college students an...

On this week's episode, host Allison Donahue, program manager at The Rapidian , speaks with Pablo Garcia, Executive Director, SECOM. SECOM is a key Resource Center that gives help and hope to their neighbors by empowering families to achieve their full potential through healthy living, education, and economic opportunities. SECOM offers a wide range of services, including a healthy food pantry...

In this week's episode, WYCE station manager, Phil Tower welcomes Lynne Brown Tepper, Executive and Artistic Director Circle Theatre.  Lynne joined us for a preview of the upcoming exciting 2025 Season at Circle Theatre. Circle Theatre is the only community theatre in the West Michigan area that specializes in summer theatre. The Theatre was founded in order to allow community performers of all ag...