Local News

Local non-profit group, Difference Makers, is celebrating the opening of their new recreation room at the Harrison Center. However, the goal of the group is much larger than simply providing a place for fun. Difference Makers Founder Ziyad Elassal says the overall goal is to help teens find their passion, figure out their goals, and then, with the help of mentors, reach those goals.

Difference Makers was created in 2018 to help empower at-risk youth in the community. The teens come from a variety of backgrounds and challenges but are welcomed into the group with open arms. Volunteer mentor Gin Pace says leaders have seen tremendous growth in the group’s kids, citing some who faced as many as 20 suspensions in the previous school year, compared to no suspensions in the current school year.

Difference Makers organizers are grateful for the community support from the Port Huron Area School District, the Community Foundation, and Eastern Michigan Christian Foundation, among others, who believe in the organization and support their work in the community. See the new “rec” room and learn more about the organization in this feature on ebw.tv

The United Way of St. Clair County is celebrating the finale of months of work on the organization’s annual fundraising campaign. Several community volunteers along with United Way staff set out beginning in September of last year with a goal to raise $1.2 million. Have you ever wondered how the money is raised? Campaign Chair, Michelle Shepley, says that the numerous volunteers work hard to cover many types of businesses in St. Clair County.

Ultimately through the fundraising efforts, the group secured 96.9% of their goal by the campaign celebration Wednesday night totaling $1,170,700, all of which will stay in St. Clair County. Shepley thanked the community for their generosity and said this year’s motto “Give A Little Bit” showed that when people can give, they do, and together, make a big difference.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Leisure Living Management, a Grand Rapids-based senior living community operator,  broke ground this week on a 43,000 square-foot assisted living project in Port Huron. 

The company has now announced they are ready to move forward with plans for a second St. Clair County location at 1003 Brown Street in the city of St. Clair. 

According to Neil Kraay, CEO/President of Leisure Living Management, “The project will have a variety of room options in the assisted living wing as well as 15 specialized memory care units.” Kraay said, “The community will have a total of 40 apartments with lots of common space and amenities.” The St. Clair facility will be the 29th location for Leisure Living. A groundbreaking for the project is set to take place in March.

The Port Huron location, being developed near Lake Huron Medical Center, will have 44 units and is expected to be operational in the spring of 2021.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

There has been an effort underway all week in St. Clair County to count the number of people in the county who are experiencing homelessness. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that communities receiving federal funds from certain programs conduct a count of all sheltered people in the last week of January annually. The initiative is part of a federal program called the Point in Time Count. 

This year, the point in time was Wednesday, January 29, but the information can be gathered in the week surrounding that date. Many local agencies have hit the streets to look for people who may be sleeping outside. They have also visited places like shelters, senior centers, food pantries, walk-in clinics, soup kitchens, counseling centers, hospitals, 24-hour businesses, and others to seek out people who don’t have a permanent home. 

Homelessness includes those who are “precariously housed” commonly know as individuals “couch surfing” or “doubling up” according to a memo from the Housing and Support Services Workgroup, who is spearheading the initiative as part of the St. Clair County Community Coordinating Body. Amy Bishop, Community Outreach Coordinator for the St. Clair County Health Department, said that the count is very important and is vital for funding to help those who are experiencing homelessness. Many community agencies are working together to present an accurate count in order to allocate resources to the issue in the region. 

According to the National Alliance on Ending Homelessness, “Point-in-time counts are important because they establish the dimensions of the problem of homelessness and help policymakers and program administrators track progress toward the goal of ending homelessness. The first of these counts were conducted in January 2005 meaning that we have data for every CoC for the last ten years.”

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

The annual Beatrice Thornton Art Exhibition is a tradition for Blue Water area students in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade, and the event is quickly approaching. Art for the exhibit is curated by local art teachers in both public and private schools and is open to homeschooled students as well. 

The art is displayed in the college’s Fine Arts Building on SC4’s campus in downtown Port Huron. The event is free and open to the public. Elementary school art will be displayed from February 3-15, with an opening reception from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, February 6. Middle school and high school art will be on display from February 24 through March 7, with an opening reception from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, February 27. 

This is the 52nd year for the art show. It is a true gallery exhibit, with no judging or awarding, just a chance for the community to take a look at the creative endeavors of area school children. The types of art range from drawings to pottery to mixed media.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.

Last weekend, the St. Clair County Right to Life organization returned from a trip to Washington D.C. for the annual March for Life. The group sent 80 people who were part of the estimated quarter of a million people who marched in Washington D.C. to show support for pro-life efforts. 

According to organizers, the local chapter filled two tour buses with marchers. One bus was filled with teenagers and their adult chaperones. Local Youth Minister, Laurie Elliott, of Port Huron, said of her experience that, “It was amazing…to be walking with so many people who are united to being the voice for the voiceless.”

This year was also the first year that a sitting president spoke to the crowd. While the St. Clair County group didn’t get up close to President Trump, they were able to join in the march to the steps of the Supreme Court along with other pro-life activists. The March for Life has been held every January since 1973. The St. Clair County Right to Life Chapter has been operating since 1982.

Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.