Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Development Block Grant topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Local nonprofits seek Macomb Township CDBG funding for wigs, forensic interviews and senior services
Summary
Four nonprofits asked the Macomb Township Board of Trustees during a Jan. 22 Community Development Block Grant public hearing for funding to support wigs for children, forensic interviews for child abuse victims, senior chore-and-repair services and food assistance.
Macomb Township — Four local nonprofit groups presented requests to the Macomb Township Board of Trustees during a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) public hearing on Jan. 22, asking the board to fund services for children and older residents.
Supervisor Frank Viviano opened the public hearing at 6:36 p.m. and allowed each organization three minutes to describe its request and the services it provides to township residents.
Maggie’s Wigs for Kids of Michigan asked for $1,200 to “sponsor a wig for one child and their family from the Macomb Township area,” finance director Christina Droz said. Droz said the nonprofit provides wigs and support services at no charge to children ages 3–18 and noted the group helped three children from Macomb Township in 2024. “We charge nothing. We turn no one away,” Droz said.
CareHouse (Macomb County Shield Advocacy Center) requested $12,000 to fund services for 20 qualifying child victims. Program director and lead forensic interviewer Nicole King said CareHouse has conducted 11,300 child forensic interviews since 1996, including 633 interviews for children who live in Macomb Township. King said CareHouse conducted 620 forensic interviews countywide in 2024, 54 of which involved Macomb Township residents.
Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers (IVC) volunteer coordinator Sherry Warnock described the organization’s Safe at Home program, which provides low- and moderate-income seniors with chores, minor home repairs and routine housekeeping. Warnock said IVC seeks CDBG funding to expand services in Macomb Township but did not state a specific dollar request, adding that “any dollar amount granted is greatly appreciated.”
Marian Schultz, a board member at Samaritan House, summarized that organization’s expanded service area and increased demand. Schultz asked the board to allocate $500 from the CDBG program to support food assistance and seasonal programs she said served families in 2024.
Board members asked clarifying questions about local usage and demand. When asked how many Macomb Township children Maggie’s Wigs helped in 2024, Droz pointed the board to the submitted packet and confirmed three children. King answered detailed questions about CareHouse’s services and provided counts of local clients and service types.
Viviano closed the public hearing at 6:50 p.m. The board did not take funding votes during the Jan. 22 meeting; the presentation and public comment record will inform future appropriation decisions, the supervisor said.
Ending: The board acknowledged the nonprofits’ requests and thanked presenters for their work. Trustees said they would consider funding allocations as the township finalizes the 2025–26 CDBG budget cycle.
