The summary and links below provide a description of a Grand Rapids, Michigan project that received a cooperative agreement from EPA’s former Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) Program in 2007. These case studies serve as historic references, and conditions since the project was funded may have changed.

The resources developed for this project provide communities with information about ways that other communities have addressed environmental issues. Communities can use these project results to reduce environmental impacts, understand risks and become stewards of their own environment.

Summary

West Michigan Environmental Action Education Foundation 
Grand Rapids, Michigan
EPA Region 5

The West Michigan Children’s Environmental Health Initiative (CEHI) is the recipient of a Level II CARE Cooperative Agreement. Organized in July 2006, the CEHI is a collaborative body of nonprofit, community-based, and governmental organizations. The CEHI is leading a collaborative campaign to improve children’s environmental health and represents Kent County, located in west-center Michigan in Grand Rapids, roughly 30 miles east of Lake Michigan. Grand Rapids population is 197,800, with more than one-third minorities. While the project will serve households throughout Kent County, it will deliver focused educational and preventative services to households in Grand Rapids’ economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. The project intends to provide an educational campaign about indoor and outdoor environmental risk factors that affect the health and the quality of life for children and families. The project will also provide affordable strategies to reduce unnecessary exposure to indoor and outdoor environmental toxics.

Established CARE Partnership:  West Michigan Environmental Action Council; Kent County Health Department; Asthma Network of West Michigan; the Sustainable Research Group; Our Kitchen Table; Michigan Department of Environmental Quality; Michigan Family Resources, Inc.; Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan; Michigan Department of Community Health; Metro Health Hospital; and the City of Grand Rapids.