First Steps Kent

“The RAPID data showed us that in Kent County, nearly 60% of families were experiencing material hardship. They were stressed, they were worried about their kids, and they were struggling to meet basic needs. And yet, they still showed up. They answered our surveys, they did our interviews, and they wanted to help.

So, parents are ready, and our job is to build a system worthy of their commitment. They want to know that their voice is contributing to things that matter, and that we're using that. And the cool thing is that [these needs are] not complex, they're foundational, and we already have some of this work happening, so we can just keep building on what we already have.”

– Megan Streng, 2025-26 Zaentz Community Fellow from First Steps Kent in Michigan

📸Photo: Ryan Zhang

Lids for Kids is coming up on Saturday from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Garfield Park in Grand Rapids. Make sure your kids are wearing properly fitted helmets this summer!