Montcalm Care Network

10/29/2025

Local elections are next Tuesday! Check out what is on the ballot in your precinct. Local elections are just as important as national ones. They help determine local codes and budgets for essential services.

Check your voter registration, locate your polling place, view a sample ballot and more at Michigan.gov/Vote ahead of the Nov. 4 local elections.

10/28/2025

Check out this free event hosted by Montcalm Area Intermediate School District through a partnership with Michigan Department of Education at the Crystal Box Office Theater on November 6th.

Join us to see a new doc shining a light on math as the foundation of democracy & economic opportunity!

10/27/2025

Our Phi Theta Kappa chapter has created a Community Food Resources guide for Montcalm and Ionia Counties as part of our College Project. The guide highlights local food pantries, meal programs, and other community supports available to anyone facing food insecurity.

Today, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced that November SNAP (food assistance) benefits will be temporarily paused due to a federal funding lapse. This pause will affect many Michigan residents, including families here in Montcalm and Ionia Counties.

If you or someone you know relies on SNAP, please stay informed through your MI Bridges account or contact the local MDHHS office for updates.

With this pause, local food resources will be especially important. We encourage you to download and share our food resources image to help connect others to available assistance.

📍The guide includes contact information for:

--Local food pantries and churches offering groceries or meals
--Community centers and outreach programs with free food distributions
--County-wide resources that can help locate nearby support

You can find and share the image below to spread the word within our community.

Together, we can help ensure that no one in Montcalm County goes without access to food support during this time.

10/26/2025

IMPORTANT UPDATE

The federal shut down may delay the issuance of November 2025 Food Assistance benefits. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has offered the following guidance:

SNAP participants should reach out to their local MDHHS office with any questions regarding their SNAP benefits or check MI Bridges for updates. Call or text 211 to find food pantries and other community supports nearby.

Visit extension.msu.edu/foodassistance for additional resources on accessing food and best practices for shopping and cooking on a limited budget.

Resource link in the comments.

10/25/2025

"It is critical that we build on our strengths." But Michigan's Department of Health and Human Services wants to cut CMHs out of the picture, opting instead to have national health plans manage your local mental health services. Do health plans in California, New York, and Colorado even know where Montcalm County is on a map?

If you value your locally-run mental health services, please tell your legislators and Governor Whitmer you don't want private health plans deciding what services you will receive.

MCN, we are local people caring for local people.

This is "CMHA_Press Conference_Vid3_v1" by Lambert on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

10/25/2025

You are not alone.

The Michigan Chapter will host eight International Survivors of Su***de Loss Day events across the state on November 22, including:

Battle Creek: Summit Pointe
Bloomfield Hills: Birmingham Unitarian Church
Clarkston: Calvary Lutheran Church
Detroit: The Detroit Association of Black Organizations
Grand Rapids: Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan
Howell: Community Mental Health Services of Livingston County
Lansing: Delta Township Library
St. Joseph: Lory's Place

For more information, or to register for one of these free events, please visit: afsp.org/michigan

10/24/2025

"For CMH to remain FOR the community, it needs to remain BY the community."

At MCN, we are local people caring for local people. If you value your county-based mental health services, please tell your legislators and Governor Whitmer you don't want your services managed by private health plans.

This is "CMHA_Press Conference_Vid1_v1" by Lambert on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

10/23/2025

Thank you, Cory, for sharing the history of the Heartland House program, and just a few stories of the many people it has helped through the years.

If you value your local, public-run mental health services, please tell your legislators to:
1) Adequately fund mental health services so programs like Heartland House can continue helping people for another 30 years, and
2) Stop MDHHS from giving management of our local mental health services to private health plans.

We are local people caring for local people. Let's keep it that way!

10/19/2025

10/18/2025

10/17/2025

We celebrated 30 years of Heartland House today! Thanks to Pat Outman - State Representative for stopping by and presenting Club members with a Certificate of Accomplishment.

The support of our community and legislators is a huge piece of our continued success and the success of our members Thank you!!

10/14/2025

Extension Extra’s Parenting Hour
October 14: Together We Can: Co-parenting
Class Times: 8:00PM to 9:30PM
Parenting is a team effort. The adults in a child’s life need to consider their children’s needs as they parent together. Build upon your knowledge and skills to promote healthy family and parenting relationships. This workshop is for all parents (married, divorced, single, step, etc.)
Registration: https://msu.zoom.us/.../register/WN_uH1iJVq9TTeVP-DEzk8Gsw