MARSHALL, MI – The Marshall Community Foundation Youth Advisory Council through the Marshall Youth Fund has awarded Starr Commonwealth, in partnership with Marshall Public Schools, a $10,000 grant to provide services for staff and students in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Youth Advisory Council (YAC) is a group of students representing youth in the Marshall area. They are particularly effective in youth-focused grantmaking. Since their experiences are similar to the students that will be impacted by the program, their input is especially valuable. This is in addition to a $50,000 grant from the Cronin Foundation and a $2,500 grant from the Youth Advisory Committee Fund of the Albion Community Foundation. Included in Starr’s services are training and coaching for school staff in the area of trauma-informed, resilience-focused practices and behavioral health support for students.
Having developed the Marshall Resilient School Project in 2016, Starr is a well-known organization in the district, and has been working to expand trauma-informed, resilience-focused practices with Marshall staff for several years. While the goals of the Resilient Schools Project will continue, these grants allow for expanded services and offerings throughout the district to combat the negative effects of COVID-19.
“While this is a global pandemic, it really needs to be taken on through community solutions,” says Starr Commonwealth President & CEO Elizabeth Carey. “Starr is proud to expand our partnership with Marshall Public Schools, as we have had the privilege to witness firsthand how this staff serves children. Students need caring, compassionate adults in their schools and in our community now more than ever, and we thank our local funders for making it possible to support all of them.”
“Our teachers and our staff have done a remarkable job this year considering all of the challenges they face,” said MPS Superintendent Dr. Randy Davis, “but sometimes these challenges go beyond what any one person or school can do. We are lucky to have partners like Starr, along with Marshall and Albion Community Foundations, Cronin Foundation and others who support this project. Our local community continues to demonstrate there are no limits to what we will do for our children.”
About Starr Commonwealth, www.starr.org
Starr Commonwealth is driven to heal trauma and build resilience in children, families, and communities. What started in 1913 as a refuge for orphan boys has grown to foster healing in over 1.5 million people through direct services, professional training, and online education. By striving for systems-level change in education, clinical, and healthcare settings, Starr is ensuring that all who care for children do so with universal hope, boundless love, and limitless success for all they serve.
About the Marshall Community Foundation, www.marshallcf.org
The Marshall Community Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving quality of life in Marshall, and throughout Calhoun County. The Foundation holds permanently endowed funds from a range of donors, and serves as a conduit for special projects and the distribution of grants in support of innovative programs like this one.
About the Albion Community Foundation, www.albionfoundation.org
Founded in 1968, the Albion Community Foundation is committed to strengthening the greater Albion area. The Foundation distributes grants annually to local nonprofits for community programming and supports special projects within the community that enhance our quality of life. Since its founding, the Foundation has provided over $7 million to support our community.