Grand Rapids-area youth getting help improving academic, social-emotional skills [Video]

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Positive Impact for Life, a small nonprofit, has been making waves in the community by providing youth and community wellness programs to those in Kent County.

The organization has been working to help youth and families understand mental wellness for more than 10 years, officially becoming licensed in 2018.

Thanks to funding from the Heart of West Michigan United Way designated for nonprofits founded or led by Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), the group was recently able to expand to provide more services free of charge.

Related: United Way works to drive equitable change with funding, training for minority-owned nonprofits

Positive Impact for Life founder and CEO Malique Grear, who is Black, said the initial $21,000 grant from the agency in 2021 allowed them to provide more mental wellness programs and public services for free.

She said the nonprofit mission has always been transforming everyday …