City Commissioners on a December evening heard a presentation from Uptown Church and the newly formed nonprofit Extended Hands about bringing a youth outreach program called "Fishing with the PoPo" to Reeds Lake.

The program, described by Pastor Gregory Amunga and Lionel LeGron, pairs youth with law‑enforcement boat captains for a day of fishing, meals and mentoring. Pastor Amunga said the program grew from a broader "community celebration" effort that has included backpacks, school supplies and resource tables. "These kids are able to get on boats and fish with law enforcement officers... and they're leaving with smiles," Amunga said.

Why it matters: organizers and police leaders said the program builds relationship capital between officers and young people after high‑tension events. Chief Eric Winstrom of the Grand Rapids Police Department, in a recorded message, thanked Uptown Church and said events like this can "humanize" officers and produce long‑term benefits for both youth and police.

Organizers requested Commission support for a city‑sponsored event (staff said a city‑sponsored public safety event would not require a park permit). Lionel LeGron, who said the group is transitioning programs into a 501(c)(3) called Extended Hands, noted prior success in Grand Rapids and said the effort secured a state grant (he stated a $75,000 award) to run the program. LeGron also cited survey results from prior events, saying they showed a roughly 20% improvement in participating youths’ perceptions of police; he described that data as collected as part of prior grant reporting.

Logistics and next steps: staff and presenters said the event is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 8, 2026. Organizers estimated capacity of roughly 75–80 youth depending on the number of boats and participating law‑enforcement captains, and they asked the City and local organizations (the Yacht Club, Rosie's and others) for help with boat captains, donated fishing poles, tackle boxes and food. The presenters said donations and community volunteers typically fill tackle boxes and supply equipment; organizers asked the Commission to consider partnership, a possible line item in the budget, and other local support.

Questions raised at the meeting included how the organizers would recruit boat captains and children, whether the event would be a one‑time effort or part of a sustained program, and which agencies would participate; staff said they were reaching out to surrounding departments and had seen broad interest. Commissioners and staff encouraged more community outreach and suggested potential funding avenues (including community foundations).

No formal Council action was required or taken at the meeting; staff recorded the presentation as informational and said they would follow up with organizers on logistics and partnerships.

The presenters provided contact information on slides and asked interested residents and volunteers to reach out by email to coordinate donations and boat captains. The Commission did not vote on funding at this meeting.