On this episode of WYCE’s Community Close-Up, host Phil Tower welcomes Jocelyn Coria, a former Healthy Housing Specialist with the Healthy Homes Coalition of West Michigan and a committee member for its upcoming Trunk or Treat for Lead Defeat event.

We discuss the organization’s work to protect children from harmful housing conditions, including lead hazards and asthma triggers, and how home assessments, education, and community partnerships help families create healthier places to live.

Jocelyn also previews the eighth annual Trunk or Treat for Lead Defeat, happening October 29 from 4:30–6:30 p.m. Presented in collaboration with Gerald R. Ford Job Corps, the event combines lead-hazard education with Halloween fun, including a student-built maze, a DJ, apple cider and donuts, and raffle prizes.

Find updates on the Facebook event page. WYCE's Community Close-Up is produced in partnership with the Grand Rapids Community Media Center.

On this episode of WYCE’s Community Closeup, host Phil Tower welcomes Sergio Cira Reyes, Climate Justice Catalyst with Urban Core Collective, to explore what climate justice means for Grand Rapids neighborhoods.

Their conversation connects environmental challenges to everyday concerns, including rising utility costs, and examines why some communities experience a greater share of the burden.

The episode also discusses energy justice, questions residents should ask about large data center developments, and the importance of giving communities a meaningful voice in decisions that affect them. Sergio shares ways listeners can become involved in shaping solutions for their neighborhoods.

Learn more at urbancorecollective.org.

WYCE’s Community Closeup is produced in partnership with the Grand Rapids Community Media Center.

In this episode of Community Closeup, WYCE Station Manager Phil Tower sits down with Cindy Meyers Foley, Director and CEO of the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM). Together, they look back on another successful summer of Thursdays on the Terrace and dive into the museum’s bold new strategic plan, which focuses on four key pillars: creative thinking, wellbeing, social connection, and finding meaning through art.

Cindy also previews GRAM’s powerful Fall 2026 exhibitions exploring art and the American justice system through two powerful exhibits: Metamorphosis, by Michigan-based artist Ray Materson, and Julie Green's "The Last Supper."

Foley also highlights the exhibit A Shared Vision, and teases what is ahead for a major year in 2027—including Renaissance-focused collections, Art in Bloom, and a major Andy Warhol exhibition.

Links & Resources:

• Learn more about upcoming exhibitions and events: artmuseumgr.org
• Learn more about WYCE: grcmc.org/wyce