Cook Family Foundation

06/02/2026

We are beyond excited to announce that our staff is growing at the Cook Family Foundation! Jamie Semans is joining us as our new Program Coordinator and it is already a perfect fit! Welcome, Jamie!

Read about Jamie's role at the Foundation and her journey to joining us on our website: https://www.cookfamilyfoundation.org/the-foundation-is-growing-jamie-semans-as-new-program-coordinator/.

06/01/2026

2026 is the in Shiawassee County! Across the county, nonprofits show up, contribute, help, and overall make life better for folks in our county. Nonprofits are a vital part of our county's system and provide more resources than anyone may know. Learn more about our local nonprofits, why they matter, and how you can support them at our website. https://www.cookfamilyfoundation.org/year-of-the-nonprofit/ 💙

And give each of our nonprofit partners a follow:
Shiawassee Family YMCA
The Arc Mid-Michigan
Voices for Children Advocacy Center Shiawassee
Steam Railroading Institute
Respite Volunteers of Shiawassee
The SafeCenter
The Shiawassee Regional Chamber of Commerce
Shiawassee Humane Society
Durand Union Station-Michigan Railroad History Museum
Shiawassee Arts Center
Lebowsky Center for Performing Arts

05/26/2026

One of our Fellows for summer 2026 is at Friends of the Shiawassee River! We hope you have a great summer, Matthew!

Please join us in welcoming Matthew Shattuck as our Summer Intern through the Cook Family Foundation Fellows Program. Matthew is a 2025 graduate of Owosso High School and recently completed his first year at the University of Michigan, where he is studying Mechanical Engineering with plans to pursue a career in biomechanical engineering. During his first two weeks with Friends of the Shiawassee River, Matthew has been updating our website and learning about our programs, events, educational opportunities, and membership benefits. Today, he met with Zak Allan of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, which has been working along the Shiawassee River from Byron to Chesaning to help control invasive sea lamprey populations. Matthew is pictured holding a mature sea lamprey and learning about the wonders of this unique species.
We are grateful to the Cook Family Foundation Fellows Program for supporting future leaders and meaningful community and environmental service opportunities.Matthew Shattuck Great Lakes Fishery Commission Cook Family Foundation

05/26/2026

We are proud of the youth in our community and their commitment to sustainabily! Thank you, Shiawassee Youth Advisory Council for your work in making the electronics take back a success! Well done! ♻️

05/26/2026

Last week our Scholarship Director, Yvette Collard, had the pleasure of presenting at the Laingsburg Community Schools' Honors Night! We are proud of the hard work and accomplishments of this scholarship recipient, Cody Cataline, and look forward to his future at the University of Michigan. Congratulations and go blue! 💙💛

05/22/2026

The is in full-swing in Shiawassee County! We want to take a moment to highlight one of our important partners who provides vital support across Shiawassee - the Shiawassee Family YMCA! Some may not know the depth of the impact and work the Y does, but it is truly a pivotal resource for our community. 💚

Take a look at some of their numbers from 2025:
- 8,380 childcare spots filled; we know how important childcare is to working families
- 191,520 lbs. of food distributed to Shiawassee County; access to food is a necessity and the Y knows food access is directly aligned to health
- 70% of program participants received financial assistance; the Y meets people where they are, and provides services in an equitable way

Learn more about the Y, their work, and how you can support at their website: https://www.shiawasseeymca.org/

05/21/2026

Tomorrow and Saturday there is a a FREE Electronic Take Back at the Owosso High School organized by the Shiawassee Youth Advisory Council!

Bring your old electronics and have them disposed of properly! ♻️

The Shiawassee Youth Advisory Council is hosting Take Back Electronics Days at Owosso High School to help community members safely recycle unwanted electronic items, free to the public.

Owosso High School | Back Pool Area, East Side Parking Lot
May 22 | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
May 23 | 2:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Please note: only electronic items will be accepted. No trash or furniture.

Anyone looking for information on where and how to recycle throughout Shiawassee County can also visit the new recycling resource website at www.shiawasseerecycles.com.

Shiawassee Recycles

05/21/2026

One of fabulous partners at the University of Michigan is their Intend 2 Attend program through the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, and they are hiring for a program coordinator!

Check out the job posting here and share: https://careers.umich.edu/job_detail/277933/project-manager

05/21/2026

One of our Fellows for summer 2026 is at Greater Durand Area Chamber of Commerce! We hope you have a great summer, Raegan!

The Greater Durand Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to welcome Raegan Taylor as our Summer Intern!

Raegan is sponsored through the generous support of the Cook Family Foundation and will return to the University of Michigan this fall as a junior. During her time at the Chamber, Raegan will be helping revamp our webpage — with part of the new site launching later this afternoon! She will also assist with social media posts, community spotlights, and other Chamber projects throughout the summer.

Raegan is the daughter of Nick and Heather Taylor and a proud graduate of Durand High School.

Welcome aboard, Raegan! We are excited to have you as part of the team.

05/20/2026

As we continue on in the in Shiawassee County, we want to highlight some of the specific work being done by our essential nonprofits. The SafeCenter continues to provide vital support for residents across Shiawassee and Clinton counties. SafeCenter advocates the right for every person, adult or child, to live in a non-violent environment where individuality and equality are recognized and respected. In the last year, they saw huge need related to housing need, advocacy, and counseling services. 💙💜

These services provided by The SafeCenter continue to be pivotal for our community, and we encourage all to learn about their work, support their work, and advocate for their existence. Learn more about SafeCenter and how you can support here: https://thesafecenter.org/donate/