Author

Sarah Spohn

Sarah Spohn

Sarah Spohn is a Lansing native, but every day finds a new interesting person, place, or thing in towns all over Michigan, leaving her truly smitten with the mitten. She received her degrees in journalism and professional communications and provides coverage for various publications locally, regionally, and nationally — writing stories on small businesses, arts and culture, dining, community, and anything Michigan-made. You can find her in a record shop, a local concert, or eating one too many desserts at a bakery. If by chance, she’s not at any of those places, you can contact her at sarahspohn@issuemediagroup.com.

Sarah Spohn's Latest Articles

Josh Chapman, President and CEO, YMCA of the Blue Water Area
Blue Meets Green collaborative feeds economic prosperity

The Blue Meets Green collaborative considers all sectors while cultivating a prosperous St. Clair County.  

King's Kid Christian Daycare staff members Adrian Robinson, left, Lolita Granger, center and Tamara Jones laugh Wednesday, July 17, 2024, as they play with toys in one of the classrooms in the Detroit child care center.
MiLEAP fund provides essential equipment, upgrades for child care facilities

Quality child care is necessary, but not always available or affordable. The MiLEAP Caring for MI Future: Facilities Improvement Fund has launched a $59 million fund to provide new and expanding home-based and center-based facilities across the state.   

Regional Housing Partnerships addressing need for affordable housing

As part of the Region I Regional Housing Partnership, the Capital Area Housing Partnership and the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission are tasked with developing local action plans to address the housing crisis. City and state government, neighborhood developers including Forsberg Real Estate, and area nonprofits are working together to address homelessness in greater Lansing and to attract residents to Eaton Rapids. 

Elevate grants help small Michigan businesses level up

Although headquartered in Indiana, the FHLBank of Indianapolis provides access to grant programs and resources for small businesses throughout Michigan. The Elevate Grant aims to generate more economic opportunity for all, and helps small businesses like Mushroom House Tours in Charlevoix and The Poke Bowl in Flint to level up.  

A family poses in front of their ICCF community land trust home.
Community land trusts make home ownership possible for more Michiganders

Michigan has a huge housing shortage. To address this need, many communities are utilizing community land trusts, like ICCF, to ensure affordable homeownership for generations to come.   

Corktown Health staff
CDFI funding helps Corktown Health expand services for Detroit area’s LGBTQ residents

Corktown Health has evolved and grown from offering end-of-life services during the HIV/AIDS epidemic to providing primary care for the LGBTQ community. Through financial support from IFF, and through partnerships with local organizations including MiGen, the health network continues to provide a life-changing impact on the patients it serves.   

The focus area of health and well-being in the More For Memphis plan examines the factors behind physical, mental, and social wellness from a broad perspective.
School-based healthcare, SNAP benefits, and more: The More for Memphis plan for Health & Well-Being

Over the next several months, the High Ground Team will be diving deep into the More for Memphis plan: What it is, why it is, and where it's taking us. This week, we take a look at the plan's initiative for Health & Well-Being.

Schools work together to address teacher housing shortage

Organizations, nonprofits, developers, and school personnel are working to address the teacher housing shortage head-on. A group of local Northern Michigan schools have banded together to form an educational consortium to address the issue and create a model of future educator housing developments near Traverse City.

John Fuse, Community Health Worker with the Berrien County Health Department, stands outside the department’s building in Benton Harbor.
Community Health Workers: Michigan’s public health messengers

Community health workers perform essential roles in delivering physical and mental health care and increasing health care access for Michigan residents. 

Rendering of Sawmill Lofts in Grayling
Recent Michigan housing legislation incentivizes more housing developments

As part of the Make it in Michigan Strategy, the state of Michigan has new finance tools and opportunities to convert vacant land into housing via the Transformational Brownfield Fund and tax increment funding. The State Land Bank Authority and Michigan Community Capital are working with state, local, and federal organizations to develop attainable workforce housing in their communities.   

Our Partners

WKKF logo
Kresge Foundation logo
IFF logo
JP Morgan Chase logo
Ford Foundation logo
Delta Dental Foundation logo

Don't miss out!

Inspiration and ideas in your inbox every week.

Close the CTA

Already a subscriber? Enter your email to hide this popup in the future.