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STORIES

Overcoming homelessness: West Michigan women share their stories

 

Homelessness is rapidly increasing in West Michigan. In Kent County alone, 8,500 people were homeless in 2018. More than 2,700 of those were children. Currently, there are more than 100 families on the waiting list for shelter in Kent County, and that list is growing.

Thanks to two local agencies, there’s hope. This two-part series examines the problem through the journeys of a pair of women who proved that broken lives can be made whole again even when facing insurmountable odds.

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Craft breweries grapple with coronavirus crisis

 

Grand Rapids has one of the highest densities of breweries, and it doesn't take long to learn people love their beer -- from small-scale, like Gravel Bottom, to some of the country’s biggest names, like Founders. 

But in a pandemic that's shuttered restaurants and cancelled summer festivals, expired beer is getting dumped, and small businesses are struggling to stay afloat. In a town bathed in brews, this new crisis is testing the meaning of crafty.

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Son rescues elderly mother from tornado-flattened home

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A destructive tornado hit mid-Michigan, destroying an elderly woman's home as she was sitting inside.

It unfolded right in front of her son's eyes, and he sprung into action to pull her to safety.

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Navigating the holidays during a divisive time

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The holidays are stressful as it is.  Add in a divisive election and ongoing pandemic, it's fair to say many are even more on edge.

A local psychotherapist offers some much-needed advice about how to navigate it all.

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