Public commenters praise provider collaboration and announce Friendship Bench pilot in Tri Cities

At the start of the Oct. 24 board meeting, community members used public comment to both thank CMH staff and announce local initiatives.

Krista Mason of Benjamin’s Hope in Holland thanked Dr. Brashear and his team for months of collaborative work that stabilized services at Ben’s Hope and said roughly half of Ben’s Hope residents are from Ottawa County (projected enrollment ~46 people). Barbara Lee of Grand Haven’s Momentum Center announced that a Friendship Bench pilot—funded by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund and Tri Cities Women Who Care—has begun, named Kate Mavor as the pilot coordinator, and invited board members to an upcoming town hall on mental health and conflict. Lee said the pilot aims to reduce loneliness by identifying public spaces as bench locations staffed by trained volunteers who can listen and connect people to resources.

Lee also warned the board that SNAP benefits will be paused in Michigan beginning Nov. 1, and urged heightened coordination of food resources and community supports. Board members thanked the speakers and noted the pilot’s potential to expand across Ottawa County if early results are positive.

The board did not take formal action on these public comments during the meeting.