Urban League of West Michigan

10/16/2026

🎃 Trunk or Treat is coming to the MLK Park Community Center! 👻🍬
Join us for a fun, family-friendly evening filled with Halloween activities, music, treats, and community resources.

📅 Thursday, October 22
⏰ 5:30–7:30 PM
📍 MLK Park Community Center
900 Fuller Ave. SE

Enjoy a bounce house, live DJ, car decorating contest, free candy, snacks, community resources, and more! A vaccine clinic will also be available for anyone who would like to receive a flu or COVID vaccine.

Bring the family, wear your favorite costume, and come celebrate with the community! 🎃🦇🍭

10/16/2026

Take control of your finances and build toward greater financial freedom. 💚

Join Project GREEN’s dFree® Academy for a free four-session workshop designed to help you strengthen your financial knowledge and confidence. Learn practical strategies for managing your money, saving and investing, planning for retirement, and staying focused on your long-term goals.

📅 Tuesdays, 5:30–7:30 PM
October 20 — Get Started
October 27 — Get Control
November 3 — Get Ahead
November 10 — Give Back

📍 Moseley Multipurpose Room at Genesis Suites
1333 Alger St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49507

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to take the next step in your financial journey, these sessions can help you build the tools and habits to move forward with confidence.
Scan the QR code on the flyer to register today!

10/08/2026

Your voice matters. Our schools matter. Our community matters.
Join the Urban League of West Michigan, the Greater Grand Rapids Branch of the NAACP, and Messiah Baptist Church for a School Board Town Hall featuring candidates in the upcoming November 3 election.

This is an opportunity to hear directly from candidates, ask questions, share the priorities that matter to you, and learn how they plan to support students, families, educators, and our community.

Tuesday, October 13
6:00 PM
Messiah Baptist Church
513 Henry Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI

Parents, students, educators, faith leaders, neighbors, and community members are all encouraged to attend.

An informed community is an empowered community. Come ready to listen, ask questions, and make your voice heard.

Stronger schools. Stronger communities. Brighter futures.

10/07/2026

🚌 THE “WE GOT US!” TOUR BUS IS COMING TO GRAND RAPIDS!

The Black Voters Matter “We Got Us!” Tour Bus is rolling into Grand Rapids on Thursday, October 8 — and we’re getting ready to bring the energy to our neighborhoods!

The PROACTIVE Project and the Urban League of West Michigan are teaming up to build excitement, strengthen voter participation, and remind our community that our voices matter and our votes count.

CARAVAN DETAILS
Thursday, October 8, 2026
Lineup: 3:30 PM
Departure: 4:00 PM
Martin Luther King Park
900 Fuller St SE, Grand Rapids
Ending near the 600 block of Eastern Ave SE

We’re inviting organizations committed to increasing voter turnout to join the caravan! Bring a vehicle, represent your organization, and ride with us as we energize the community ahead of the November 3 election.

Let’s show up. Let’s make some noise. Let’s remind Grand Rapids of the power of our collective voice.

✊🏾 WE GOT US — now let’s get ready to VOTE!

10/07/2026

Your voice matters — and so does accountability.

Join Together West Michigan this Saturday, October 10, at 10 a.m. for the 2026 Candidates Accountability Forum at Calvin Church, 700 Ethel Ave. SE in Grand Rapids.

Twenty-one candidates running in the November 3 General Election — from local city commission races to the Michigan House and Senate — will be asked to respond publicly and on the record to important policy priorities affecting our communities.

Community members will share the personal stories behind these issues, and each candidate will be asked to answer YES or NO to key proposals, followed by just one minute to explain their response.

This is an opportunity to hear directly from candidates, understand where they stand, and see accountability in action.

📅 Saturday, October 10
⏰ 10:00 a.m.
📍 Calvin Church | 700 Ethel Ave. SE, Grand Rapids

👉 Register today: https://bit.ly/4xQIGkR

09/25/2026

🎨 **Calling artists and creatives!**

The City of Grand Rapids has **reopened the Request for Proposals (RFP)** for the Gun Violence Memorial Art Installation Project, giving artists additional time to develop and submit thoughtful proposals.

The extended timeline is intended to create a more accessible, community-centered process and encourage a strong range of submissions for this meaningful project.

📅 **Updated Dates:**
• September 28 – Submission window reopens
• **October 16 at 4 p.m. – New proposal deadline**

This memorial will honor lives impacted by gun violence and create space for remembrance, reflection and community.

Learn more about the project and how to submit a proposal:
https://www.grandrapidsmi.gov/city-news/posts/city-of-grand-rapids-reopens-rfp-timeline-for-gun-violence-memorial-art-installation/

Please share with artists, creatives and community members who may be interested.

09/16/2026

ABSENTEE BALLOT UPDATE 🗳️

An important update for Grand Rapids voters: The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked new U.S. Postal Service requirements that would have changed how mail-in ballots are handled for the upcoming November election. The ruling allows states to continue using their existing vote-by-mail processes.

For Michigan voters, absentee ballots for the November 3 election will be available beginning September 24.

Already requested an absentee ballot? You can check its status online. Still need to request one? You can apply online through the Michigan Voter Information Center.

➡️ Michigan.gov/Vote

Please share this information with your family, friends and neighbors so Grand Rapids voters have the most up-to-date information about absentee voting.

Grand Rapids Absentee Ballot Update!!!!

Link below:
http://www.michigan.gov/vote

09/10/2026

🏠 Michigan’s housing future needs your voice.
Your experiences and perspectives can help inform Michigan’s second Statewide Housing Plan and the future of housing across our state.

📅 The deadline to participate is September 18.

Take the survey today, then share it with your family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and community networks:
👉 surveymonkey.com/r/353RD8F

Every response matters. Let’s make sure West Michigan is heard.

07/09/2026

Looking for your next career opportunity?

The The City of Grand Rapids is sharing employment opportunities for individuals who want to make an impact in our community through public service.

Explore current openings, review qualifications, and apply online today:
https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/grandrapids