The homeless are about in rural northern Michigan, John McLintock sets out to find them.
Children & Families
About 1 in 5 children in Michigan live in poverty. Bridge will explore the reasons behind this disturbing result and the ideas to address it.
Posted inChildren & Families
How Michigan can improve the lives of 80,000 homeless children
The safety net is anything but secure for homeless children and families across the state. Bridge reviews some approaches that have shown promise elsewhere.
Posted inChildren & Families
Grand Rapids shelter helps one teen find escape
Runaway and unaccompanied teens navigate a treacherous world
Posted inChildren & Families
Michigan ranks in bottom half of state nationally in care for homeless children
A national report finds nearly 80,000 homeless children in Michigan, with a lack of state planning to deal with the problem.
Posted inChildren & Families
Along Michigan’s back roads, thousands of homeless children
Brenda Greenhoe scours abandoned garages and backwoods lots in rural counties, bringing adrift children to school.
Posted inChildren & Families
A charter school for the rural poor closes
Is it better to keep low-income students together despite poor test scores? Or do they benefit from learning alongside middle-class children?
Posted inChildren & Families
Help Bridge chronicle the challenges facing rural Michigan
Rural communities face a tsunami of modern ills, from fading economies to children who can’t wait to leave. You can help Bridge document the hardship (and joy) of rural life.
Posted inChildren & Families
Free speech goes begging in Grand Rapids
Across Michigan, communities are trying to craft restrictions on panhandling that don’t run afoul of First Amendment protections.
Posted inChildren & Families
A day on the streets with a young panhandler
The story behind one man's sign.
Posted inChildren & Families
Down and out in Lake County
Lake County competes for the unwanted title of Michigan’s poorest county. Like many rural areas across the state, Lake residents endure higher poverty, serious health and social ills, and little hope for the future.