Sarah Spohn

Teams from five Great Lakes Bay Region high schools are currently working on the Phase Two of their innovative solutions to real-world issues for the 13th annual A.H. Nickless Innovation Award competition.
Twenty teams of local students from five different high schools across four school districts — Bay City, Freeland, Midland, and Saginaw, are hard at work on the projects for the 13th annual A.H. Nickless Innovation Award. Currently in the Phase Two of the competition, students are preparing...

FLINT, Michigan — The FIM Flint School of Performing Arts has a diverse lineup of performing arts for the 2026 Winter season. From the annual Seeing Stars! From benefit events that raise money for students’ tuition assistance year-round to a special Black History Month collage-style concert, there’s no shortage of creative sparks throughout February.
The FIM Flint School of Performing Arts is the largest community arts school in the state. Every year, FIM’s programming reaches over 300,000 pe...

Block by Block is a solutions journalism series that is supported by IFF, CEDAM and Invest Detroit, and is focused on community development leaders and initiatives in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.
When traditional funding isn’t available, mission-driven financial institutions step in to provide support for consumers, businesses, real estate development projects. These community development financial institutions (CDFIs) exist singularly, and part of citywide, regional, statewide, and national c...

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, is it officially winter yet? Maybe not, but that’s no reason not to celebrate.
The East Lansing Winter Fest returns to the Hannah Community Center on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This free event features live entertainment, bounce houses, Winter Olympics style games, crafts, ice carvings, fire pits and s’mores stations, popcorn and hot cider, a photo booth, food trucks and a winter market.
Colleen Armitage, community events specialist and fa...

Cody Ley, a past CEDAM real estate development boot camp participant, is passionate about creating affordable, sustainable housing using hempcrete — a resilient, energy-efficient material. Through his nonprofit, Hemp 4 Humanity, he hopes to empower and connect communities to promote a circular economy.
Block by Block is a solutions journalism series that is supported by IFF, CEDAM and Invest Detroit, and is focused on community development leaders and initiatives in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana...

Block by Block is a solutions journalism series that is supported by IFF, CEDAM and Invest Detroit, and is focused on community development leaders and initiatives in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.
Most entrepreneurs at the start-up phase or early days of the business are juggling many hard tasks alone, often responsible for being the owner, operator, sole funder, manager, social media manager, IT person, and other strenuous roles. They know they need help, but don’t know where to start looking ...

Scout’s Cafe expanded to include a new third location in downtown Springfield in November 2025.
The latest coffee shop to open up in downtown Springfield is brewing up a buzz. Since 2017, Scout’s Cafe has been serving the greater Springfield area as a locally owned and operated coffee shop. The local spot has been popular with residents, winning the Greater Springfield Partnership’s Best of Springfield Best Coffeehouse category in 2022 and again in 2025.
Offering a menu of smoothies, teas, an...

Remember the ‘good ole’ days when every Friday night, you’d stand in line at your favorite video rental store to borrow the latest VHS or DVD? That is, if you were lucky, and it still happened to be in stock.
At Berkley Public Library, physical media librarian Lisabeth Posthuma is responsible for developing collections on adult television and film DVD and Blu-Ray, youth film and television DVD and Blu-Ray, all-ages music CD and Vinyl, and all-ages books on CD. She also helped manage one of th...

Marsha Stamas, Bridge Food Center manager, believes every person should be treated with dignity. Even if families are struggling financially to make ends meet, those families deserve a high-quality, affordable grocery store to provide food and nourishment. Those with dietary restrictions or anyone making a few dollars more than the SNAP benefits income threshold are hesitant to utilize free food pantries. Sometimes it’s a lack of preferred items or a desire to not “take away” from those who a...

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, is it officially winter yet? Maybe not, but that’s no reason not to celebrate.
The East Lansing Winter Fest returns to the Hannah Community Center on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This free event features live entertainment, bounce houses, Winter Olympics style games, crafts, ice carvings, fire pits and s’mores stations, popcorn and hot cider, a photo booth, food trucks and a winter market.
Colleen Armitage, community events specialist and fa...

Check out the roundup of events at FIM, FIA, Sloan Museum, Longway Planetarium, and more.
FLINT, Michigan — Throughout the cold months, the holiday season is made warmer by spending quality time with family, friends, and loved ones. Year after year, bringing out familiar decorations and planning festive get-togethers helps create memorable traditions.
Flint has a full calendar of fun, festive, and free events to celebrate art, culture, and community. Here’s a roundup of events at Flint Instit...

Sometimes nonprofits need help to fulfill their mission of helping others within their communities. For Volunteers of America Michigan, when costly necessary roof repairs and upgraded lighting arose, they found a supportive partner in IFF. The community development financial institution that has provided millions of dollars of loans to five of the VOA Michigan thrift stores.
Block by Block is a solutions journalism series that is supported by IFF, CEDAM and Invest Detroit, and is focused on c...

They say that dogs are a man’s best friend, but for many young boys and girls across Metro Detroit schools, these furry friends are more than just companions. These pups are supporting mental health, increasing motor skills, teaching responsibility, and fostering caring relationships.
In an effort to continue their mission of supporting mental health in students, Priority Health has placed three highly-trained working facility dogs in schools across Southeast Michigan.
After launching the pro...

Block by Block is a solutions journalism series that is supported by IFF, CEDAM and Invest Detroit, and is focused on community development leaders and initiatives in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.
Ashley Guynes thought she’d never return to Detroit. Today, she’s the co-owner of Toss & Sauce, a customizable artisanal pizzeria located at 18673 Livernois. It’s a project made possible by financial support from a CDFI, Invest Detroit. The project is part of a larger, passionate commitment to help li...

Block by Block is a solutions journalism series that is supported by IFF, CEDAM and Invest Detroit, and is focused on community development leaders and initiatives in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.
Since 1829, NewPath Child & Family Solutions has changed the lives of children and their families. What started as an orphanage nearly 200 years ago has evolved into a comprehensive behavioral health and educational treatment agency. Their latest chapter of growth has been made possible in part from c...