The Weekley Legacy Project

08/09/2026

There’s something special about showing up for the community that continues to show up for you. 💚

We had an amazing time at NACD’s inaugural Northside Day! It was a beautiful day filled with community, connection, laughter, and plenty of new and familiar faces.

Thank you to NACD for bringing Kalamazoo together, and thank you to everyone who stopped by our table to talk, learn about WLP, or simply say hello. We’re grateful to have been a part of such a special day! 🖤💚

The legacy continues. 🌳📚

07/11/2026

We are overwhelmed with gratitude.

After The Weekley Legacy Project was featured by MLive, an anonymous donor stepped forward with a generous $5,000 gift to the Rising Scholar Award Fund.

This single gift brings us halfway toward our next goal: awarding 10 scholarships at $1,000 each during the 2026–27 scholarship cycle.

To our anonymous donor: thank you for believing in our scholars, our mission, and the future of this organization.

To our community: this is the momentum that helps us keep going. Every donation, every share, and every act of support helps us reduce financial barriers and invest in the next generation of scholars across the greater Kalamazoo area.

Help us keep the momentum going by donating on our website:

🔗: https://www.theweekleylegacyproject.org/donate

Supporting Kalamazoo students with scholarships and mentorship to foster future leaders and strengthen the community. Invest in education today.

07/10/2026

We’re honored to share this MLive feature highlighting The Weekley Legacy Project and our inaugural scholarship cycle.

In our first year, WLP awarded 10 scholarships to Kalamazoo Public Schools students through the support of our community. Our mission is to reduce financial barriers, uplift student potential, and invest in the next generation of scholars.

As we look ahead, we’re excited to continue growing our impact across the greater Kalamazoo area, including our upcoming scholarship coverage to not only Kalamazoo Public Schools, but Portage Public Schools’ students as well. This expansion also includes an afterschool mentorship program.

Thank you to our scholars, families, donors, volunteers, board members, partners, and supporters who helped make this possible.

In-kind support and donations are always welcomed! They can be made via our website or emailing us at [email protected]!

Read the full article here:

The former WMU defensive back and Kalamazoo native helped award the first 10 scholarships of his new program last month.

07/03/2026

A few more photos from an unforgettable day.

In June, we had the privilege of awarding 10 graduating seniors with our inaugural “Rising Scholar” Scholarships.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this mission from the beginning. We’re excited to continue creating opportunities for students in our community.

Congratulations again to all of our recipients. 🌳

06/14/2026

Meet the Team‼️

Name: Florence Weekley

Title: Program Support Member

Florence Weekley joins The Weekley Legacy Project as a Program Support Member, bringing more than 24 years of experience in the healthcare field as a Lead Phlebotomist. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to patient care, staff development, and leadership, helping train healthcare professionals while serving individuals and families with compassion and excellence. Beyond her healthcare career, Florence is an entrepreneur, caregiver, and dedicated community advocate who believes in the power of service, education, and opportunity. She is passionate about helping others grow, overcome challenges, and reach their full potential. Through her role with The Weekley Legacy Project, Florence is committed to supporting programs and initiatives that empower youth, strengthen families, and create meaningful opportunities that leave a positive and lasting impact throughout the community.

🔗 theweekleylegacyproject.org/team

06/14/2026

🎓 10 Students. $5,000 Awarded. One Incredible First Year.

This past Saturday, The Weekley Legacy Project proudly awarded its first-ever Rising Scholar Award Scholarships at the NPHC Scholarship Celebration , bringing together students, families, community leaders, supporters, and partner organizations to recognize ten outstanding graduating seniors from across the Kalamazoo area.

What began as an idea to create more opportunities for local students became a reality this year. Through our inaugural scholarship cycle, we received applications from multiple schools throughout the community and awarded $5,000 in scholarships to 10 deserving graduates.

The celebration was an opportunity to recognize hard work, perseverance, goals, and potential. Seeing students, families, and community members come together to celebrate these achievements was a powerful reminder of what can happen when a community invests in its young people.

We are incredibly grateful to our scholarship recipients, families, board members, volunteers, donors, and community partners who helped make this first year a success.

Year one is officially in the books, and we’re excited for what comes next.

05/25/2026

Today, The Weekley Legacy Project had the honor of participating in the 2026 Memorial Day Parade here in Kalamazoo. 🇺🇸

This was more than just a walk through the city. It was an opportunity to honor those who served our country while continuing to represent the importance of investing in our youth and community.

We were especially proud to have several of our 2026 Rising Scholar Award recipients walking alongside us:

• Adrieana Peake-Wright
• Daviya McCoy
• David Jones
• Dontray Hemphil
• Gavin Newsome
• Odyssey Sherrod

Seeing these students represent the future of Kalamazoo made today even more meaningful.

A special thank you to our Director of Operations, Kianna Bigby, for helping orchestrate and coordinate our participation in today’s event. Your leadership and dedication helped make this experience possible.

Thank you to everyone who showed support throughout the parade route. The future is bright. ❤️

05/18/2026

🎓✨ CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2026 RISING SCHOLARS ✨🎓

The Weekley Legacy Project is proud to announce our 2026 Rising Scholar Award recipients!

This year, we had the honor of reviewing applications from incredible students across Kalamazoo Public Schools. Their stories, resilience, leadership, and determination truly inspired us.

Please help us congratulate our 2026 recipients:

🎓 Daviya McCoy (KC)
🎓 Sharlee Atkinson (KC)
🎓 Gavin Newsome (KC)
🎓 J.L. (KC) *anonymous preference*
🎓 Odyssey Sherrod (KC)
🎓 Ioannis Evans (KPS Virtual)
🎓 Adrieana Peake-Wright (LN)
🎓 Timothy Terrentine (KC)
🎓 David Jones (LN)
🎓 Dontray Hemphill (Phoenix)

We are proud to invest in these students and excited to see all they accomplish in the future. Thank you to every student who applied, along with the schools, counselors, families, and supporters who helped make this opportunity possible. 💚

“Investing in Kalamazoo’s Future, One Scholar At a Time.”

05/18/2026

Chenia Hughes – Event Coordinator

Congratulations to Chenia Hughes on becoming the new Event Coordinator for The Weekley Legacy Project.

Chenia brings great energy, creativity, and passion to the organization, and we look forward to her helping lead future events and community engagement efforts.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication. 💚