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Mel Trotter Celebrates Graduates

Mel Trotter Ministries is celebrating the life transformation of 41 guests who are graduating from several different programs at its downtown location. 

Abbie Sladick, Vice President of Communication at Mel Trotter Ministries

“It’s a wonderful milestone to celebrate for the guests in our program that have gone through so much in their lives.”

Abbey Sladick is the Vice President of Communication for Mel Trotter Ministries.  Tomorrow more than 40 formerly homeless Mel Trotter guests will graduate from the Ministries’ programs.

“As many people that are graduating, that’s how many diverse stories that we have. So many people have come from different walks of life. Different ages.”

The challenges have been numerous, but Sladick says they all received help from Mel Trotter Ministries.

“Some people are recovering from severe addiction. Some have had mental or physical disabilities that resulted in becoming homeless. Some had lost their jobs or been displaced due to housing crisis that we’re having in Grand Rapids.

So it’s wonderful to see such a diverse group of people kind of realize their value in God and come through this milestone and be celebrated.”

Sladick says the graduation has all the pomp and circumstance of a high school or college graduation. A time to share with family and friends their accomplishments through one of the many restoration programs.

“Mel Trotter does rescue, which is basic needs, the meals the shelter making sure no one has to be out on street. And restoration programs are for people who choose to change their life they’re ready to make that next step, they want to move forward and overcome homeless ness.

“And so there’s a program for people depending on their barriers. Maybe they have job already and they need housing, maybe they haven’t had a job in a long time and have gone through job readiness, maybe they have addiction. So there’s a broad spectrum of programs for people.”

And as exciting as it is for the graduates and their families… Sladick says tomorrow morning’s graduation is equally as exciting for the staff at Mel Trotter.

“We truly believe that every citizen in our community has value and gifts. It’s amazing to see the transformation they’ve made coming through and building confidence and getting a relationship with Jesus and that’s there’s a future out there for them and so excited to celebrate that tomorrow.”

Jennifer is an award winning broadcast news journalist with more than two decades of professional television news experience including the nation's fifth largest news market. She's worked as both news reporter and news anchor for television and radio in markets from Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo all the way to San Francisco, California.