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Behind the Scenes at MSU: The Grounds Crew Shaping the Everyday Spartan Experience

At first glance, Michigan State University feels effortless. Tree-lined walkways, manicured lawns, colorful flowerbeds, clear sidewalks, and smooth traffic flow all blend together into a campus that feels welcoming and alive. But behind that polished experience is a massive, coordinated effort happening every single day—often before sunrise and long after most lights turn off.
With more than 20,000 trees, miles of sidewalks and roads, athletic fields, gardens, parking areas, and even championship golf courses, maintaining MSU’s park-like campus is no small task. It’s the responsibility of the MSU Landscape Services team—a group of more than 100 dedicated professionals who protect, build, and maintain the spaces where Spartan life unfolds.
And as it turns out, it’s about much more than grass and mulch.
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One Campus, Thirteen Specialized Crews
Landscape Services at MSU operates like a small city. Thirteen specialized crews work together daily, each with a unique role but a shared mission: support the campus experience.
From gardeners and arborists to site construction teams, hard surface specialists, mechanics, golf course operators, and snow removal crews, every group brings expertise to the table. When major events or emergencies hit—like severe storms—those divisions blur, and everyone jumps in where needed.
It’s a system built on teamwork, trust, and pride. More than coworkers, the crew functions like a family—one that knows the campus inside and out.
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Gardening With Purpose and Precision
The largest group within Landscape Services is the gardening unit, responsible for the color, texture, and seasonal beauty seen across campus. Each year, they plant roughly 10,000 summer annuals, thousands of bulbs and pansies in the spring, and more than 1,500 mums in the fall.
But this isn’t about planting flowers and hoping for the best. It’s a carefully planned rotation that ensures MSU always has something blooming, no matter the season. From early spring pansies to fall’s signature mums, the campus color palette evolves alongside the academic calendar—quietly shaping how students and visitors feel as they move through the space.
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Smart Irrigation, Athletics, and Robotic Mowers
Keeping that landscape healthy takes more than visual planning—it requires infrastructure. MSU operates over 28 irrigation systems to support lawns, gardens, and athletic fields, while also maintaining turf for intramural sports and recreation.
One of the most forward-thinking developments? Autonomous mowers.
In partnership with the MSU School of Engineering, the grounds team now uses robotic mowers on approximately seven acres of campus turf. These machines reduce labor demands, lower emissions, and keep high-use areas consistently maintained—freeing staff to focus on other critical tasks.
It’s innovation rooted in practicality, and a glimpse at the future of groundskeeping.
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Mulch, Trees, and a Sustainable Cycle
Mulch may seem simple, but at MSU it tells a larger sustainability story. Each year, 5,000 to 6,000 cubic yards of mulch are created through an on-campus process. When trees must be removed due to disease or storm damage, arborists grind the wood—twice—into high-quality hardwood mulch that’s reused across campus.
That same team of seven arborists cares for more than 20,000 trees, inspecting health, pruning for safety, responding to storm damage, and planting replacements whenever removals are necessary. The goal is clear: protect the canopy today while preserving it for future Spartans.
After major storms, crews often work through the night to clear sidewalks and roads, ensuring safety and minimizing disruption. It’s quiet work—but critical work.
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Infrastructure, Events, and Everyday Function
Beyond plants and trees, the site construction and hard surface teams handle the infrastructure students rely on daily. From new landscape installations to renovations, signage, parking lots, and traffic flow, their work ensures campus remains navigable and accessible.
For football games and large events, these teams manage cones, barriers, and temporary signage—then remove everything and reset the campus afterward. Behind every smooth game day is hours of planning and physical setup most people never see.
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A Living Classroom and Winter Readiness
MSU’s 36 holes of championship golf serve as a living classroom for turf and horticulture students, offering hands-on experience that bridges academics and real-world careers.
When winter arrives, the focus shifts. From November through April, snow removal crews remain on call 24/7, prioritizing roads, sidewalks, and accessible routes. Working closely with the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities, the team ensures pathways remain safe and usable for everyone.
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Technology, Ecology, and the Bigger Picture
Technology plays a growing role in how the team operates. GPS-enabled equipment, ArcGIS Field Maps, and a $6 million fleet maintained by in-house mechanics help track work, streamline tasks, and manage such a massive campus efficiently.
At the same time, MSU is rethinking tradition. By converting 22 acres of turf into pollinator habitats and wildflower meadows, the grounds team is reducing emissions, cutting costs, and supporting biodiversity—proving sustainability and beauty can coexist.
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The People Who Make It Feel Like Home
At the heart of it all are the people. More than 100 employees show up every day—not just to maintain a campus, but to support an experience. They’re there early, stay late, respond fast, and innovate constantly.
Their work turns buildings into places, paths into connections, and a university into a home.
Next time you admire a flowerbed, find shade under a towering tree, or navigate campus with ease, remember: it’s not accidental. It’s the result of dedication, collaboration, and a crew working behind the scenes—every day—for the Spartan community.

Celebrating Impact Through Storytelling: UnoDeuce Multimedia’s 2025 Year-in-Review

As all of us at UnoDeuce Multimedia prepare to step into our 25th year, 2025 offered a powerful reminder of why this work matters. It was a year defined by real stories told alongside nonprofits, community leaders, and mission-driven organizations working every day to make Michigan stronger.

This 2025 Year-in-Review captures more than just finished projects. It reflects moments behind the camera: conversations that sparked new ideas, laughter between takes, and the quiet intensity of interviews where people shared why their work matters. From nonprofit hubs and community foundations to frontline service organizations, UnoDeuce had the privilege of helping bring these missions to life through thoughtful, intentional video storytelling.

Throughout the year, the focus of elevating purpose stayed the same. Each project was designed to help organizations connect more deeply with their audiences, whether through documentary-style storytelling, promotional videos, event coverage, or ongoing content strategies. These weren’t just videos created to be watched; they were tools built to build trust, inspire action, and strengthen communities.

2025 also marked continued growth in collaboration. UnoDeuce worked alongside nonprofit leaders, boards, funders, and partners who understood the value of authentic storytelling. Together, those partnerships turned complex missions into clear narratives and helped organizations share not just what they do, but why they do it.

The highlight reel is a snapshot of that momentum—packed with meaningful visuals, familiar faces, and stories that continue long after the camera stops rolling. It’s a reminder that video, when done with care and purpose, can move people to listen, engage, and support something bigger than themselves.

As UnoDeuce Multimedia looks ahead to year 25, this reel stands as both a celebration and a promise. The commitment remains the same: to tell stories that matter, support missions that serve, and use creativity to create real, lasting impact—one story at a time.

Reflecting on 2025: A Year of Growth, Grit, and Groundwork at UnoDeuce
As 2025 comes to a close, we’re taking a breath, looking back, and doing something we don’t always slow down enough to do—reflect. This past year at UnoDeuce was full of movement: new spaces, new ideas, bold experiments, meaningful wins, and some very real challenges. It was a year that stretched us creatively and emotionally, and one that laid the groundwork for something big ahead—our 25th anniversary in 2026.
So grab a coffee and settle in.
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A Fresh Start at the Nonprofit Hub
Every new chapter starts with a leap of faith, and for us here at UnoDeuce, that leap came early in 2025. When Child and Family Charities invited us to become part of the brand-new Nonprofit Hub, it was a no-brainer. It just made sense.
We moved in January—during Michigan winter, no less—hauling gear, painting walls, and turning an empty space into a functioning studio. It was cold, exhausting, and absolutely energizing.
Before everything was perfectly in place, we went live.
The new studio quickly became more than a workspace. It became a launchpad for creativity, collaboration, and conversations that mattered. From the very first broadcast, it was clear this move was about more than square footage—it was about proximity, purpose, and possibility.
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Launching the UnoCup and Live Event Innovation
One of the first big moments we’d like to highlight in the new space came with the launch of the UnoCup, a live-streamed UNO tournament created for the grand opening of the Nonprofit Hub.
What started as a fun idea turned into a full-scale event that involved a total of nine nonprofits competing, celebrity players and announcers, a packed room and an engaged livestream audience.
The energy was contagious. Laughter, competition and community all came together in one night. More importantly, the UnoCup showed what live, creative fundraising events could be. That night didn’t just break in the studio; it opened the door to a whole new service offering for UnoDeuce: high-quality, high-energy livestream production for nonprofits and community organizations.
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Building Smarter Learning Experiences
Behind the scenes, one of our biggest wins in 2025 was the development of customized learning management tools. We began helping organizations build flexible training platforms—virtual, in-studio, or hybrid—without the tech overwhelm.
Accessibility was a major focus. Through partnerships with 7C Lingo, we integrated ASL interpretation and foreign language captioning into our learning systems, ensuring content could truly reach everyone.
At its core, the goal was simple: make education more inclusive, more usable, and more human.
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Partnerships That Expanded Our Reach
UnoDeuce has never believed in going it alone, and 2025 reinforced how powerful collaboration can be. This year, partnerships with organizations like 7C Lingo, Gold Pro Media, and Lansing Public Media helped us expand beyond production into strategy.
Through our work with Gold Pro Media, we dove deeper into podcast planning—guest acquisition, sponsorship development, continuity, and marketing—helping shows grow sustainably instead of just episodically.
These relationships allowed us to bring more voices forward, more consistently, and with greater impact.
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Podcasting, Broadcast, and Local Stories
Podcast production remained a major pillar of our work. In 2025, shows like Arts Roll Call (with the Arts Council of Greater Lansing) and Mission Control continued to grow—evolving from audio-only formats into full broadcast experiences through Lansing Public Media.
More platforms meant more reach. More reach meant more stories shared. And for us, that’s always the point.
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A Record Year for Fundraising Impact
If there’s one area where 2025 truly stood out, it was fundraising. By fall, it felt like every weekend brought another event. In total, we supported nearly 15 fundraising events, providing audio/visual production, livestreams, and storytelling support.
The result? A record-breaking $1.5 million raised for nonprofits across the Lansing area.
That number matters but what matters more is what it represents: services funded, programs expanded, and communities supported. That’s why we do this work.
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Growth, Recognition, and Real Challenges
This year also brought recognition, including Platinum Community Votes awards for Videographer and Video Production Company. Being recognized by the community always means something special—especially during a year of so much change.
But 2025 wasn’t easy. There were stretches of uncertainty, stress, and moments when the weight of everything felt heavy. And toward the end of the year, our founder experienced a profound personal loss with the passing of his father—a lifelong supporter of UnoDeuce.
Grief has a way of clarifying what matters. Family. Purpose. People.
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Looking Ahead to 2026 and 25 Years of UnoDeuce
Despite the challenges, we’re stepping into 2026 with energy and intention. UnoDeuce turns 25 years old, and we’re planning to honor the journey—past, present, and future.
Expect:
– Special events and creative campaigns
– A refreshed website and new newsletter
– Deeper partnerships and new collaborations
– Continued innovation in how stories are told
We’re grateful for our partners, our clients, our team, our families, and this community that continues to show up.
As we head into the next chapter, one thing remains unchanged: our commitment to amplifying voices, supporting causes that matter, and telling stories that make a difference.
Here’s to 25 years and all of the exciting things that come next.

Min Kyu Kim is the founder and CEO of Kimchi Box, one of the fastest-growing fast-casual Korean restaurant chains in the Midwest. After studying at Michigan State University, Kim left his career in consulting to launch Kimchi Box during the pandemic, using his business background and family roots in Korean cuisine to scale the brand rapidly. Today, he’s known for blending bold Korean flavors with an accessible, modern concept and for his ambitious vision to expand Kimchi Box nationwide.
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The Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Michigan State University empowers students to lead lives of impact through entrepreneurship. With an education-first approach, we equip Spartans with the mindset, experience, and community they need to create meaningful change.​

Lauren LoGrasso is a multi-passionate creative whose mission is to help people express themselves fully. As a podcaster, musician, creative coach, and keynote speaker, she empowers others to embrace authenticity and unlock their creative potential. Through her Webby Award–winning podcast, Unleash Your Inner Creative, Lauren has built a global platform that inspires listeners to claim their creativity, overcome self-doubt, and pursue lives aligned with their passions.
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The Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Michigan State University empowers students to lead lives of impact through entrepreneurship. With an education-first approach, we equip Spartans with the mindset, experience, and community they need to create meaningful change

iving Back with Heart: How Your Home Solution Experts and Child & Family Charities Are Making a Difference

Some companies talk about giving back. Others live it. And every once in a while, you meet a team whose entire culture is built around service—who show up with open hands, open hearts, and a willingness to roll up their sleeves. That’s the story of Steve Fitch and the people behind Your Home Solution Experts: a business that doesn’t just succeed in the community, but for the community.

In partnership with Child & Family Charities, they’ve found a way to turn personal history into purpose, company culture into community impact, and everyday work into something much bigger. If you’ve ever wondered what authentic corporate giving looks like—not the press release version, but the real, human, boots-on-the-ground version—this is it.
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Why Giving Back Isn’t Optional for This Team

For Your Home Solution Experts, philanthropy isn’t a marketing strategy or a once-a-year gesture. It’s a mindset. A rhythm. A responsibility.

Steve says it best:

“We believe in giving a hand up, not a handout.”

That principle defines everything they do. Instead of focusing on charity as a transaction, they see it as a relationship—one built around lifting people up, meeting them where they are, and helping them move forward with dignity.

Child & Family Charities became a natural partner because their mission aligns deeply with this philosophy. Offering more than 30 different programs across the region, the organization supports families, youth, and individuals from all walks of life. It’s broad, it’s diverse, and it’s hands-on—exactly the kind of work Your Home Solution Experts wanted to support.
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A Partnership Rooted in Diversity and Connection

One of the first things Steve mentions is the diversity of the Child & Family Charities board.

“The board is very diverse—different kinds of businesses, all different kinds of people. And with that, they’re able to give back to a diverse group of people.”

When you serve a community, you have to reflect it. And both organizations do. That shared approach creates a partnership that feels authentic, intentional, and grounded in real need—not assumptions.
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Company Culture With Heart

Spend just a few minutes with the team at Your Home Solution Experts, and you’ll notice something: giving back is contagious here. It spreads from desk to desk, from team member to team member, until you can’t tell where the initiative started—only that everyone is in it together.

Some stories stand out:

One employee routinely opens their home to kids who need a safe, welcoming place to land.

Another organizes toy drives every holiday season, ensuring children across the community feel seen and celebrated.

And then there’s Steve’s own story—the one that makes this work deeply personal.

“I was adopted—and I was adopted through Child and Family Charities… So to give back, that’s what it means to me.”

That connection isn’t symbolic. It’s lived. And it shapes the way he leads.
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More Than Money—A Movement

Your Home Solution Experts recently pledged over $100,000 to Child & Family Charities, a massive commitment by any measure. But as Steve explains, writing the check isn’t the hard part.

“The new challenge is not just to give money… It’s how to teach our younger generations the joy of giving back.”

Giving becomes powerful when it becomes shared. When it becomes tradition. When it becomes a story families tell and a value businesses model. And that’s the heart of this company’s mission: to spark a legacy of generosity that lasts long after the cameras stop rolling.
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What Child & Family Charities Brings to the Table

To understand why this partnership works, you have to understand what Child & Family Charities actually does. And the short answer is: a lot.

They provide:

– Foster care and adoption services
– Crisis support and counseling
– Youth development programs
– Food, gifts, and basic needs for families
– Mental health services
– Community events and resource connections

More than 30 programs, countless staff members, and a network of passionate volunteers all working toward one goal: strengthening families and building brighter futures.

For Your Home Solution Experts, partnering with Child & Family Charities was a no-brainer.
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The Power of Recognition—and Why It Matters

When the company received the RNR 2025 Extend Our Reach Award for philanthropy, Steve called it the pinnacle of their achievements.

“We could have the best job, the most profitable work site—but being picked for a philanthropic award means we’re doing what we say we’re going to do.”

Awards aren’t the goal. Impact is. But recognition reminds people that good work matters—and inspires others to follow.
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Passing the Torch to the Next Generation

Steve is passionate about one idea: giving shouldn’t end with this generation. And so Your Home Solution Experts is actively building pathways for young people to get involved.

That means:

– Hosting community service projects
– Encouraging kids and families to volunteer together
– Mentoring young workers not just in business, but in compassion
– Sharing stories of the impact philanthropy creates
– The more people feel the joy of giving, the more they want to keep giving.
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How You Can Join the Movement

You don’t need a big business or a big budget to make a difference. Small acts compound into big ones.

You can:

– Volunteer time
– Donate goods
– Support local drives
– Share your own giving story
– Partner with charities like Child & Family Charities

Impact grows when it’s shared.
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Final Thoughts: A Legacy Built on Heart

Your Home Solution Experts isn’t just improving homes—they’re building community. Their partnership with Child & Family Charities is a reminder that when businesses lead with compassion, entire neighborhoods feel the ripple.

As Steve says:

“I love my community, I love my employees… We’re here to stay for a long time.”

And with every act of service, every donation, every story shared, they’re proving that giving back isn’t a task—it’s a way of life.

INNOVATE STATE: Dan Gilbert | Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, FY26

Dan Gilbert is the founder and chairman of Rocket Companies and a visionary entrepreneur known for transforming the mortgage industry through innovation, technology, and customer-first thinking. As a prominent business leader and philanthropist, he has played a major role in revitalizing Detroit and shaping the future of fintech and real estate.
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The Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Michigan State University empowers students to lead lives of impact through entrepreneurship. With an education-first approach, we equip Spartans with the mindset, experience, and community they need to create meaningful change.​

A Journey of Support: How the Tri-County Office on Aging Makes a Real Difference

Sometimes life changes in an instant. A fall, a moment of impact, a phone call—those seconds split life into “before” and “after.” And in the opening moments of “Tri-County Office on Aging – A Journey of Support,” we meet someone who knows that shift all too well.

Tim’s voice is calm, steady, almost matter-of-fact as he shares the story that changed everything:

“I broke my neck back in 1992 in a sporting accident and paralyzed with my shoulders down. So in my case, I need assistance with everything with daily living.”

It’s a line that lands with the weight of lived experience. Eating, bathing, shifting in bed—things most of us do without thinking—suddenly require constant support. Yet this story isn’t just about loss or difficulty. It’s also about what happens next: the people, the programs, and the care that step in to lift someone up when the world tilts sideways.

This is the heart of Tim’s journey, and it’s where the Tri-County Office on Aging (TCOA) enters the frame—not as an agency on paper, but as a partner in daily life.
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The Accident That Changed Everything

When Tim talks about the day his accident happened, there’s no dramatics, just truth. A split second turned into a permanent spinal cord injury, and suddenly the basics of life became complicated.

He needed help with:

– Getting in and out of bed
– Meals and supplement drinks
– Massages to prevent pain and stiffness
– Mobility and a ramp to safely exit his home
– Daily caregiving support

It’s a lot. For anyone. For any family.

And like many people dealing with a new disability, the challenges don’t land on one person—they ripple outward. For Tim, that circle has grown smaller over the years. He explains it quietly:

“Right now it’s just my mom and I. My brother passed away a few years ago, and it’s like TCOA picked up the slack.”

That one sentence captures so much. Grief. Responsibility. Relief. And the need for someone—anyone—to help carry the load.
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Where TCOA Steps In

The Tri-County Office on Aging doesn’t show up with a one-size-fits-all plan. They show up with people—caseworkers, caregivers, coordinators—who learn your name, your needs, your rhythms.

For Tim, that support looks like:

– Consistent caregivers who help with the essentials
– Regular check-in calls from his caseworker
– Home care services tailored to his needs
– Back massages that make pain manageable
– Practical resources, from nutrition support to new equipment
– A mobility ramp that brought independence back into his routine

Tim puts it simply, and sincerely:

“I can’t think of no other organization like Tri-County that has stepped in and assisted us within every area that was needed.”

It’s not just help. It’s partnership. It’s presence. It’s someone in your corner.
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The MIChoice Waiver: An Open Door to Care

At the center of Tim’s support is the MIChoice Waiver Program—a Medicaid program designed to help people stay in their homes instead of nursing facilities. For Tim, this program has been nothing short of life-changing.

He describes MIChoice as “Like an open book.”

Meaning: If he needs something, he can ask. If his situation changes, someone helps him figure out the next step. There’s no judgment. No confusion. Just communication.

Tim explains:

“If you need assistance with something, you call, talk to your caseworker—mine is great.”

And that’s a big deal, because so many people don’t even know help exists.
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The Hidden Challenge: Not Knowing What to Ask For

One of the strongest messages Tim shares is that many people miss out not because they’re unqualified—but because they’re unaware.

“A lot of people with disabilities or older people, they don’t know. And if you don’t know, and you know how to ask, you don’t get anything.”

TCOA tries to bridge that gap by:

– Educating families
– Checking in regularly
– Asking questions proactively
– Helping people understand what they qualify for

Because getting help shouldn’t be complicated.
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Life with TCOA: More Than Surviving

With all the support TCOA brings, Tim says something that stands out:

“Our program never ends because I really enjoy it. I like everything about it.”

That’s not something you often hear about social services. But TCOA isn’t just meeting needs—they’re improving quality of life. They’re helping Tim live, not just get by.

A typical day for him includes:

– Morning caregiving
– Meals and supplements
– Mobility help
– Massage therapy
– Afternoon check-ins
– Time with family

The assurance that if something goes wrong, help is one call away

It’s stability. It’s dignity. It’s peace of mind.

At its core, TCOA is about showing up for people. Not with fanfare. Not for recognition. But because everyone deserves support, and no one should navigate life’s hardest moments alone.
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Final Thoughts: Community Makes the Difference

Tim’s story shows what happens when compassion meets connection. When programs are built around people. When caregivers and caseworkers treat clients like family.

“I wouldn’t want to be with no other organization like Tri-County because they’ve just been wonderful to us.”

For anyone facing a disability, caring for a loved one, or simply not sure where to start, the Tri-County Office on Aging is ready to help—just like they were for Tim.

Because sometimes the biggest difference is knowing someone is there.

And sometimes, as Tim says, that alone is “a blessing.”

Behind the Scenes: A Candid Conversation with Sarah Laurie at the Child and Family Charities Nonprofit Hub

Walk into the Child and Family Charities Nonprofit Hub on any given day and you’ll feel it right away—the hum of conversations, the smell of coffee drifting through the air, the steady buzz of people doing real work that matters. It’s the kind of place where handshakes turn into collaborations and hallway chats turn into new ideas. That’s where Melik sat down with Sarah Laurie, CEO of Community Mental Health for Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties (CMH), for a conversation that felt less like an interview and more like two people pulling back the curtain on what community care really looks like.

And if you know UnoDeuce, you know we love moments like these—where the mission meets the people behind it.
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Serving the Community Starts with Humility

Melik kicks things off with a question that makes any leader pause: What’s it like to run such a massive, mission-driven organization?

Sarah doesn’t miss a beat.

She smiles, leans forward, and answers not with the polished script of a CEO, but with sincerity: it’s humbling. It’s an honor. CMH is “woven into the fabric of the community,” she says, and that responsibility isn’t lost on her.

No buzzwords. No grandstanding. Just honesty.

And that’s the heart of CMH in a nutshell—real people meeting real needs, without making it complicated.
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So… What IS Community Mental Health?

Sarah breaks it down simply: CMH serves people—from birth through adulthood—who are navigating serious emotional or developmental challenges. They’re the public behavioral health provider for three counties, and they take that role seriously.

Think of CMH as a lifelong partner in behavioral health, offering:
– Support for youth and adults with severe emotional or developmental needs
– Specialty mental health services
– A Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic that anyone in the community can access
– 24/7 crisis services, mobile crisis teams, and walk-in support
In a world where “access” often means a maze of referrals, CMH keeps it refreshingly simple.

If someone needs help, they call. They walk in. They show up—and CMH is there.
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A Better Way to Get Help: Quick, Local, Human

Sarah shares CMH’s philosophy of accessibility like it’s second nature. Crisis shouldn’t come with barriers, and CMH keeps their doors—and phone lines—open around the clock. The Jolly Road location, tucked between Pennsylvania and Cedar, serves as their home base for walk-in crisis care.

No complicated process.
No red tape.
Just support.
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Building the Crisis Care Center: A Game Changer for Mid-Michigan

As Sarah talks about the future, her voice shifts—you can hear the excitement behind the logistics. Right on the nonprofit hub campus, CMH is developing a full Crisis Care Center in a former women’s and children’s building. It’s more than a renovation; it’s a reimagining of how crisis care should work.

This center will bring together:
– Walk-in crisis services
– A recovery center for withdrawal management
– A crisis residential unit
– And the newest addition: a Crisis Stabilization Unit for both youth and adults

This unit is the missing puzzle piece—offering up to 72 hours of safe, supportive care with access to psychiatry, nursing, therapists, and peer specialists. A place where help starts immediately, without sending people out of town or parking them in an ER waiting room.

“Proximity makes a difference,” Sarah says—and she’s right. Keeping people close to their support systems isn’t just convenient; it’s transformative.
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Collaboration at Its Core

One of the most striking takeaways from this conversation is how tightly knit the nonprofit community is inside the Hub. CMH staff, Child and Family Charities, NAMI Lansing, and others share space, ideas, and mission energy—daily.

There’s no ego in the room, just people doing the work.

The new center will house:
– 8 youth beds
– 13 adult beds
– On-site specialty services
– A recovery center operating right alongside crisis services
Instead of being shuffled around the city, individuals can transition seamlessly through levels of care without ever leaving the building.

That’s what partnership looks like—not just meetings and emails, but proximity, intentional space, and shared purpose.
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Looking Ahead: Opening Soon

Sarah estimates the building will wrap up construction by March, with services launching in the summer. It’s ambitious, but she’s confident—and considering the demand, it can’t come soon enough. Beds will fill quickly, because the need is real, local, and growing.
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The Real Backbone: The Staff

When Melik asks what keeps CMH moving, Sarah doesn’t hesitate. She lifts up her team—the therapists, nurses, crisis workers, peer specialists, support staff. They’re the ones doing the hands-on work, the emotional labor, the late-night calls.

“It really is the staff… they are the backbone,” she says.

And that acknowledgment feels like the perfect note in a conversation grounded in real community commitment.
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Final Takeaway: We Can Do More Together

If one line sums up the entire interview, it’s this:

“Proximity makes a difference. We can do more together.”

It’s simple. It’s powerful. And it’s exactly what the Nonprofit Hub is built for.

If you want to get involved, learn more, or get support, CMH and Child and Family Charities are ready to welcome you in.