R.I.S.E. Pillars of Success
Our guiding principles
HEALTH, WELLNESS, AND SAFETY
Meeting the community's essential needs—related to health, wellness, and safety—is R.I.S.E.'s primary goal because through satisfying residents' most basic needs is foundational to seeing community succeed, thrive, and advance.
R.I.S.E. primarily serves the Washington Heights neighborhood in Battle Creek, Michigan. Based on Ward 2 demographic information, the average median household income is $30,000 lower than the state average. This is an underserved community and many residents live below the ALICE threshold as determined by United Way.
While education and commUNITY are huge elements of R.I.S.E.'s work, the work of health, wellness, and safety comes first. If a person's basic needs are not met, they cannot think about self-fulfillment. The Washington Heights, like all communities, has vulnerable populations that need assistance and R.I.S.E. is uniquely equipped to provide assistance. This assistance is a natural complement to the work R.I.S.E. does with education and community.
CommUNITY
The programs and services R.I.S.E. provides support the whole community. With an emphasis on unity, R.I.S.E. seeks to develop safe places and togetherness in the community which creates more opportunities for individuals and the neighborhood.
R.I.S.E. assists families with navigating the systems they're unfamiliar with, like the mental health system or judicial system. Promoting access to these resources is critical to the health of the community because R.I.S.E. recognizes that Washington Heights is a traditionally underserved neighborhood with most residents living below the ALICE threshold, as established by United Way. With this in mind, R.I.S.E. is here to assist residents with their unique circumstances and thrive in this community.
R.I.S.E.'s commUNITY programming is evolving to always be an asset to this community. One of the primary focuses right now is developing safe neighborhoods so that kids and families can feel comfortable and confident walking down the street. R.I.S.E.'s violence intervention programming seeks to stop reactionary violence amongst the young men and women who are dealing with challenges that lead to unnecessary violence. By providing welcoming spaces where our neighbors can have a sense of belonging, R.I.S.E. makes it possible for this community to fulfill its potential.By providing a supportive, reliable environment, these youth can realize their fullest potential.
EDUCATION
R.I.S.E.'s programming for youth provides extracurricular learning that keeps children engaged and in a safe environment after school and over the weekend. Aware that many local youth have challenging home lives—typically the children have high Adverse Childhood Experience scores—all R.I.S.E. activities are crafted with trauma-informed care as the foundational objective.
Run by adults who understand this community and can empathize with the individual experiences that affect kids' social and emotional health, the programming is intentionally culturally relevant and in an environment youth feel comfortable.
R.I.S.E. meets local youths' needs by developing programming for the children’s different learning styles that might not be addressed by the public school system. Ultimately, this programming offers an additional support for local schools, families, and most importantly the youth. through the weekly programming R.I.S.E. provides for the community.
By providing a supportive, reliable environment, these youth can realize their fullest potential.