Our roundup of the latest news from metro Detroit and Michigan businesses as well as announcements from government agencies. To share a business or nonprofit story, please send us a message.
Lingenfelter Collection in Brighton Opens April 22 to Benefit American Cancer Society
One of the top-rated car collections in the world — The Lingenfelter Collection in Brighton — will be opening its doors to the public from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. April 22 to raise awareness and funds for the American Cancer Society.
The Lingenfelter Collection is the private collection of Ken and Kristen Lingenfelter and features more than 180 distinctive vehicles, including Corvettes, muscle cars, and exotics. Each spring, the Lingenfelter family opens the collection to the public while raising support for important nonprofit organizations. The American Cancer Society was chosen to be the recipient of the proceeds from this spring’s event.
Guests attending the Open House will be able to support the America Cancer Society by making a monetary donation at the door. Refreshments will be available while guests browse the many collectable cars and representatives will be present to answer any questions.
The Lingenfelter Collection is at 7819 Lochlin Drive in Brighton. For more information, visit here.
Plymouth Township’s Digested Organics Acquired by Mott Corp.
Digested Organics, a Plymouth Township-based engineering company that manufactures advanced filtration solutions, has been acquired by Mott Corp. in Connecticut. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Digested Organics specializes in water reclamation solutions for waste streams. The technologies Digested Organics deploys are critical to addressing global issues such as water scarcity and groundwater pollution, and to the creation of sustainable, circular agriculture.
Through customized filtration solutions, Digested Organics’ technology can reduce the costs for farmers of disposing of millions of gallons of wastewater by converting them into clean water and products like fertilizer and animal bedding. Digested Organics also provides solutions that facilitate the conversion of organic wastes into renewable energy sources.
Mott provides filtration and flow control solutions to cutting edge industries including semiconductor, clean energy, aerospace, healthcare – and now water and agriculture. Mott’s engineered solutions help build and improve our technological world, with applications from satellites and cell phones to implantable medical devices and green hydrogen facilities.
With this acquisition, Mott grows its clean energy portfolio, expands its skid manufacturing, and electrical engineering capabilities, and welcomes a new business unit focused on water and wastewater.
“Mott products help generate green hydrogen, produce semiconductors, and protect satellites in space,” says Bobby Levine, the CEO of Digested Organics who will stay on to lead the company. “They’re now bringing that same precision engineering to the wastewater and water reuse market with the joining of our two companies. We are confident that under Mott’s leadership, our customers will continue to see the highest quality, innovative solutions they’ve come to expect from Digested Organics and that our employees will continue to thrive in a creative, collaborative work environment.”
Advancing Macomb to Host Inaugural Community Engagement Summit
Advancing Macomb, a Mount Clemens-based nonprofit that convenes resources to solve community challenges and enrich the lives of Macomb County residents, will host its inaugural Community Engagement Summit — Love Where You Live — from 8:30 a.m.-noon April 28 at Macomb Community College South Campus.
The event aims to inspire Macomb County leaders to consider innovative and emotionally engaging projects for their communities and to ignite future discussions about public-private partnerships that enhance quality of life and economic vitality.
The summit features keynote speaker Peter Kageyama, author of “Love Where You Live” and “For the Love of Cities.” Kageyama is an internationally recognized community development expert and grassroots engagement strategist who speaks globally about community development and the people who make change happen.
The event will include a panel discussion with Macomb County business and community leaders discussing the connection between economic impact and emotionally engaging places. The panelists include:
- Andrew Blake, president and farmer at Blake’s Family of Cos.
- Carolyn Bloodworth, executive director of the Consumers Energy Foundation.
- Phil Gilchrist, executive director of The Anton Art Center.
- Dana Schmitt, president of the United Shore Professional Baseball League.
TV anchor and journalist Christy McDonald of WDIV will serve as moderator for the panel.
“We are very excited for this inaugural event and invite all Macomb County business, community and civic leaders to join us on April 28,” says Diane Banks, executive director of Advancing Macomb. “The summit serves as a launch to a broader initiative where we will travel to cities and townships throughout the county to brainstorm ideas and develop plans to strengthen individual communities.”
General admission tickets for the event are $45 and may be purchased at advancingmacomb.com. The presenting sponsor for the event is Consumers Energy. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available.
Ford Piquette Avenue Plant Museum to Host Truck Talk March 31
The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant Museum in Detroit will host Ford Motor Co. CTO Aaron Bresky at 5:30 p.m. March 31 when he presents “Ford Trucks — From TTs to the Design and Development of Today’s All-New Super Duty.”
During this Speaker Series event, Bresky will explore the history and explosive popularity of the truck throughout its evolution.
Bresky has held various positions in several departments in his 26 years at Ford including advanced powertrain development, design and release, noise vibration and harshness, and vehicle integration. The event includes complimentary beverages and a sweet and savory pretzel bar.
For more information and tickets, visit here.
Oakland University Partners with Easterseals MORC to Address Social Work Shortages
A new collaboration between Easterseals MORC and Oakland University’s Social Work and Counseling programs through the College of Arts and Sciences and School of Education and Human Services was announced at a ceremonial signing event today.
The partnership comes as the number of openings for behavioral health professionals has outpaced the number of post-secondary students entering the workforce by nearly 50 percent, according to the Michigan Health Council.
The Behavioral Health Workforce Development program is a new initiative based on a long-standing partnership between Easterseals MORC and OU. It will offer a unique scholarship opportunity and advanced training for students entering social work and counseling, with full implementation expected by the fall 2023 semester.
The agreement includes preferential acceptance for Easterseals MORC employees into Oakland University’s Master of Social Work (MSW) Program or Counseling Program, 25 paid internships for OU students with Easterseals MORC, and 10 full-tuition scholarships for OU graduate students, annually. Additionally, up to 50 Easterseals MORC employees per year will receive a 10 percent tuition discount to attend OU if pursuing an advanced degree in social work or counseling.
“We are excited about this program because it will allow us to open new learning opportunities and offer financial support for our students,” says Elaine Carey, dean of OU’s College of Arts and Sciences. “In turn, our students will graduate, have a career waiting with Easterseals MORC, and help address the current shortage of licensed mental health professionals.”
Lawrence Tech’s April ‘Giving Day’ is Focused on Innovators Fund
Lawrence Technological University in Southfield will celebrate its third annual Giving Day philanthropy event April 4.
“On Giving Day, Lawrence Tech alumni, friends, faculty, and staff members rally together to raise funds that change lives,” says LTU President Tarek M. Sobh. “And this year we’ll make Giving Day bigger and better than ever.”
Gifts to any area of Lawrence Tech are encouraged and appreciated, but this year university officials are particularly encouraging gifts to LTU’s newest fund, Emergency Scholarships for Future Innovators. This featured fund, very important to LTU, helps students who are struggling to pay for their education remain on the path toward a promising future.
“Earlier this year, we established the Emergency Scholarship for Future Innovators fund,” says Kevin Finn, vice president for philanthropy and alumni engagement at LTU. “Contributions to this scholarship are greatly appreciated, and this year will help many students having difficulty with their education costs.”
The public can donate online beginning now here.
Giving Day’s festivities will be livestreamed from LTU’s Buell Building through a link on the Giving Day page from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with interviews and featured videos from students, alumni, faculty, staff, and donors throughout the day.
The livestream will also feature the unveiling of LTU’s Blue Devil Motorsports 2023 competition vehicles from 12:15-1:15 p.m.
On-campus events will also include performances of the LTU Marching Band, a celebration of the LTU men’s bowling team winning the 2023 NAIA national championship, and more.
Alumni who stop by the Buell Building and donate $100 or more will receive an LTU sweatshirt, and the donor of the largest dollar amount wins a Jimmy John’s Diamond Table, which includes four tickets to a future minor league baseball game, VIP parking, free concessions, and more.
Comerica Bank to Stage Annual Prom Dress Drive, Benefiting Jackets for Jobs
Comerica Bank is welcoming donations for its fifth annual Prom Dress Drive April 3-21, in support of community partner Jackets for Jobs. Individuals and businesses can drop off new or gently used dresses at participating Comerica locations to benefit southeast Michigan students.
Eleven Comerica Bank banking centers and offices throughout metro Detroit will serve as collection sites.
Participating locations also will accept accessories such as jewelry, shoes, purses, and wraps.
For the first time, Comerica will supply the donated dresses and accessories to Jackets for Jobs, a Detroit-based nonprofit that focuses on career development and removes barriers by providing high-quality clothing that makes clients look and feel professional to support workplace success.
“For the past several years, our colleagues, customers and communities have come together with tremendous generosity during our previous prom dress drives to support local teens,” says Linda Nosegbe, national community impact manager at Comerica Bank. “As the interest in contributing to this great cause remains strong, our new partnership with Jackets for Jobs allows us to continue connecting to the community through an outstanding community organization driven to help others to thrive and succeed.”
Those donating dresses and accessories to the Comerica Prom Dress Drive in Detroit can do so by dropping off items in the main lobby of the Comerica Bank Center located at 411 West Lafayette St.
The following additional Comerica Bank and office locations will accept donations:
- Ann Arbor | Stadium Blvd.-Pauline: 1969 W. Stadium Blvd.
- Auburn Hills | Auburn Hills Campus: 3501 Hamlin Rd., Ste. 1
- Bloomfield Hills | Woodward-Hunter: 36440 Woodward Ave.
- Bloomfield Hills | Telegraph-Long Lake: 3910 Telegraph Rd., Ste. 100
- Dearborn | Michigan-American: 16150 Michigan Ave.
- Grosse Pointe | Fisher-St. Paul: 415 Fisher Rd.
- New Baltimore | Gratiot-Cotton: 50300 Gratiot Ave.
- Northville | Northville: 129 E. Main St.
- Novi | Grand River and Beck: 47440 Grand River
- Livonia | Livonia Operations Center: 39200 W. Six Mile Road
State Launches $15M MI Impact Grant to Help Lift Michiganders Out of Poverty
The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) has launched the $15 million MI Impact Grant program available to Michigan’s larger nonprofits that provide programming to lift Michiganders out of poverty.
“Michigan’s nonprofits work every day to uplift their communities and bolster the economy,” says Susan Corbin, director of LEO. “We are proud to offer this grant program to strengthen Michigan’s nonprofit ecosystem and deliver on our mission to close equity gaps and remove barriers to economic prosperity.”
The grant program, which is designed to support the critical work of nonprofits that provide meaningful and sustained impact in the communities they serve, will prioritize partnerships with larger nonprofits that share the state’s commitment to providing services that help lift Michigan residents out of poverty and above the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) threshold.
Large nonprofits could receive one-time grant funds of up to $2 million from August 2023 to August 2025 to create programming or expand current programming that helps lift Michiganders out of poverty. The application for the grant program is estimated to launch this spring. To be eligible for this funding, organizations must be a Michigan-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit or a fiscally sponsored project by a 501(c)(3).
“The MI Impact Grant will provide much-needed support to Michigan’s nonprofits and the communities they serve,” says Kim Trent, LEO’s deputy director of prosperity and key staffer for the Poverty Task Force. “We will prioritize partnerships with organizations who provide programming that lifts Michiganders out of poverty and supports the mission of the Poverty Task Force.”
The funding is supported through the American Rescue Plan Act, Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) with a goal to build a strong, resilient, and equitable recovery by making investments that support long-term growth and opportunity. $50 million in funding will be provided to support nonprofits that have been negatively impacted due to the pandemic. The funding will be distributed through two separate programs, with a $35 million relief fund made available to smaller nonprofits earlier this year. Nonprofits may apply to either the MI Nonprofit Relief Fund or the MI Impact Grant, not both.
LEO is requesting information from nonprofits that have demonstrated experience and success in providing programming and resources to support the communities they serve, while prioritizing equitable outcomes. Nonprofits should respond to the RFI, which will inform how the grant program is designed and help to develop program strategy for the MI Impact Grant, by noon April 21.
Forgotten Harvest to Host Annual Comedy Night May 12
Forgotten Harvest in Oak Park is hosting its 30th annual “For the Love of Detroit Comedy Night” at 7 p.m. May 12 at the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center in downtown Detroit.
The featured comedian is Flint native Terry Crews and local and regional comedians Sam Rager, Jeff Scheen, and Josh Adams live.
Proceeds from tickets, sponsorships, and auction sales will benefit Forgotten Harvest’s distribution efforts to its network of more than 200 agencies in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties. “For the Love of Detroit” pays homage to the city and community that Forgotten Harvest has served for 33 years and features comedians who all have ties to Detroit and the state of Michigan.
Tickets for the event range from $45 to $175 and are on sale now.
For more information and ticket information, visit here.
Interest Grows in Aquinas College’s Block Model Program
Demand among Aquinas College’s incoming freshmen for an innovative first-year pilot program is significantly higher than anticipated.
Sixty percent of this year’s applicants indicated an interest in block scheduling, which allows students to complete one course at a time. From the 60 percent of interested students, Aquinas College received 137 deposits. Eighty of those students now have been selected for seats in the pilot program.
“We’re beyond pleased with the expression of student interest in this new and exciting immersive scheduling model,” says Stephen Germic, provost of the Grand Rapids institution. “We had almost twice as many deposits for the model than we could accommodate.”
Rather than taking several simultaneous courses that each run for a full semester, students in a block schedule will take one course for three and a half weeks, working with the same professor and classmates Monday through Friday. Each course ends with a four-day weekend. At four credit hours per course, students will accrue 32 credits in a year.
Longer daily classes give students the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in a singular discipline before moving to the next. Topics are more deeply explored, and the connections students form with their professors and classmates are more personal. Students who have experienced block scheduling at other institutions have found significant benefits to their mental health, and the flexibility offered by 9 a.m. to noon classes allows students more freedom for work and study. The model is better able to meet the needs of today’s students with a relationship-rich environment in the classroom and a focus on deep learning.
“Aquinas College is continuing its tradition of innovation, and we’re delighted by the response to the block scheduling pilot program,” says Alicia Córdoba College, president of Aquinas. “The block model is an excellent fit for a college like ours that thrives on relationships and immersive educational experiences.”
For more background on block scheduling at Aquinas College, visit here.
