Meridian Cares: Healing from Tragedy

Project Description

With a small tax and thousands of donations, Meridian Township has led the way through community action and response to help residents begin to heal from recent tragedies. As a community-supported fund and program, Meridian Cares provides and connects residents with the resources needed to recuperate and recover from emergencies.

The value of programs like Meridian Cares is highlighted in times of crisis. Recently, Meridian Cares focused on supporting 31 displaced apartments damaged by the Knob Hill Apartment fire, including the disbursement of $115,638.04 in community donations, hosting a Christmas party, and establishing a donation-based free store.

In response to the shooting at Michigan State University, the township hosted a health and safety expo, providing physical and mental health resources to our surrounding community.

While Meridian Cares may not offer new facilities or infrastructure, it provides our residents with a confidential and safe place to get the help they need.

Is your project easy to replicate in other communities (clear in its impact and execution for other communities)?

The Meridian Cares program can definitely be replicated. Any community can focus on mental health, establish an emergency needs fund, or offer other programs that aid their residents. By offering an initiative like Meridian Cares, it shows the community that their health and well-being is of the utmost importance and is one of the township’s highest priorities.

What is the Community Wealth Impact (based on one or more of the categories you selected) of your project?

Public Health – Focused on improving the quality of life for all Meridian Township residents, Meridian Cares offers a wide range of resources to those in need. Collaborating with other local and state organizations, Meridian Cares offers our residents a greater depth of care and can assist residents in identifying any underlying issues or obstacles. Each year, Meridian Cares helps hundreds of households through referrals and emergency financial assistance. Whether it be pointing a resident to a local job fair, assisting them with state and local applications for assistance or coming alongside them with financial resources, Merdian Cares exists to prevent our neighbors in need from facing severe economic hardship, such as hunger or homelessness.

In response to the fatal Knob Hill fire and MSU shooting, Meridian Township hosted its first annual health and safety expo in May 2023. The expo featured booths from a variety of state and local health and safety resources, including mental, emotional, and physical health providers, law enforcement agencies, and advocacy and support groups.

Financial Security – Each year, hundreds of eligible Meridian Township residents receive financial assistance through the Meridian Cares fund. This community-supported fund helps bridge the gap for those who may experience unexpected emergencies or have unplanned gaps in employment. Meridian Cares financially helps residents when no other assistance or not enough assistance is available. Meridian Cares funds are matched by other agencies, such as the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), whenever possible to maximize the use of Township funding. We assist residents with applications for poverty property tax exemptions and ambulance waivers, or any other programs they may be eligible for. Meridian Cares’ emergency needs fund assists residents with their rent and utility bills, who otherwise have no way to pay these bills.

Describe the creativity and originality of your project.

Meridian Township is one of the only communities we are aware of in Michigan that levies a tax to help our residents. As a community, we recognized the need to offer resources and financial assistance to our residents to support their physical and mental health. In doing so, we can help prevent hunger and homelessness and be a safe place for our community to seek out and receive mental health resources and assistance. These vital, live saving and life-giving resources are what makes Meridian Township stand out among the rest.