The health of a Michigan community is not determined by a single factor, but by a combination of essential components, including infrastructure, financial stability, and administrative capacity. In order to make Michigan communities stronger, it is important to tackle issues from multiple angles to address them effectively. This approach is a key component of CEDAM’s work in ensuring communities have what they need to grow.

We are proud to host programs that give communities access to resources and the ability to improve the lives of the individuals who call it home. It’s a special moment when a community can take part in more than one of our programs at once. Such is the case with Cass City. They are a recipient of the Children’s Savings Account (CSA) Innovation & Sustainability Grant, a member of the Michigan CSA Network, and hosted Laken Chapin, a fellow in Cohort 5 of the Community Development Fellowship.

Community Development Fellows are placed with communities for fifteen months to expand organizational capacity, increase local collaboration, and remove barriers to development. From grant writing and analyzing community engagement surveys to working with the Village Council and Planning Commission, Laken worked on a plethora of initiatives that helped the community build momentum toward its long-term goals.

That same commitment to long-term opportunity is reflected in Cass City’s Red Hawk Nest Egg program. Children’s Savings Account programs are a uniquely impactful way for communities to increase students’ attainment of postsecondary education and career training. Programs engage students–and their families–early and often, opening a savings account with an initial deposit for them that they can use to pursue the postsecondary pathway of their choosing. Most importantly, these programs are community-led and supported initiatives. In this case, it’s the volunteer-powered Cass City Promise that is responsible for the development, implementation, and sustainment of CSAs for all Cass City students.

When it was formed, the Promise wrote seven beliefs as a foundation to guide all of its communications and actions within the program. All of these ground the program as a community-first initiative, focused on improving every facet of the community and its members, in addition to the students. When Laken saw the announcement of the CSA grant last year, she inquired about Cass City’s CSA program, Cass City Promise, with the Village Manager. After the Village and the Promise discussed projects the Promise wanted to implement, Laken was given the go-ahead to assist with the grant application with the Promise’s Janet Richards. 

After receiving the grant, Laken stayed involved. She has worked with Janet on project implementation strategies and methods to increase awareness and public support of them. She helped with every phase of the grant and took the lead on their final project, “Stewardship, Service, and Saving,” a community-wide planting day, which meant a lot to her because she developed Cass City’s forestry plan and planted new trees in collaboration with city partners the prior year.

“By involving youth in community service, the Promise helps to cultivate a community of belonging and awareness, which helps grow our community into a place characterized by strong relationships and intentional action where we listen to and understand each other’s needs and serve each other,” said Laken.

According to Janet, Laken was an invaluable help and left an indelible mark. But Janet didn’t only sing her praises for her assistance on the Promise, but for her overall help in Cass City. 

“Laken has established extensive partnerships throughout our community, and physical evidence of her initiatives are apparent any time you take a stroll. The trees lining the sidewalks in the downtown area are appealing, and her sidewalk work with the school will increase safety and attractiveness,” said Janet. “Laken has studied needs and developed a quality blueprint that will serve our community well into the future. And Laken’s involvement in the village master plan will lay the groundwork for overall village direction and development.”

Community economic development relies on everyone to invest time, energy, and resources into the community and its people. When a community need arises, and there are people who want to make a difference, community growth is bound to happen. All it takes is a spark of an idea for it to start. Add in hard work and community collaboration, and magic can happen. “The work of both the Fellowship and the Promise demonstrates that community growth is not passive, but made possible by bold decisions, strengthening relationships, and taking intentional action,” shared Laken. We couldn’t agree more. 

The collaboration between Laken and Janet showcases the synergy CEDAM aims to ignite. Our programs are designed to be catalysts for the ideas and work already in progress, but it is local relationships and dedication that bring them to life. By combining the additional organizational capacity of the Community Development Fellowship with funding from the Innovation & Sustainability Grant and support from the CSA Network, CEDAM equips communities with the direct capacity, connections, and resources they need to build a brighter future.