2026 Impact100 TC $120,000 Grant Recipient.

In Fife Lake, the public library is one of the few places where rural residents can walk in without cost, appointment, or judgment and find what they need to keep moving forward. On any given day, a child hears a story that helps build a love of reading. A student finds books and Wi-Fi for school. A senior brings in a phone or tablet and asks for help staying connected. A job seeker prints an application. A community group looks for a room it can afford. These are small moments, but in a rural community with few alternatives, they matter deeply. Fife Lake has built its library one chapter at a time since 1887, and this project continues that tradition by preparing the next public space where residents can learn, connect, and support one another.

Room for Community: The Fife Lake Learning Hub will take place at Fife Lake Public Library in southeastern Grand Traverse County. The larger library expansion will create a new 2,280-square-foot Learning Hub within a 7,200-square-foot expansion. Impact100’s $120,000 grant will fund the Learning Hub Activation Package, ensuring the new space opens equipped, accessible, technology-ready, program-ready, and measurable from day one. The Activation Package is included within the $1.2 million total project budget and represents the portion requested from Impact100. The Activation Package is the bridge between a completed room and a room that can change lives. The expansion creates the space; Impact100 makes the space work.

Funding will provide flexible furnishings, presentation and learning technology, accessibility and senior-friendly features, hands-on learning equipment, research and digital learning tools, program launch supplies, signage and wayfinding, and evaluation supports. Each item is tied to the initiative’s outcomes: more programs, more reliable room access, stronger technology support, and better participation for underserved residents. These are not extras. They are what allow the Learning Hub to become a functioning public education space for literacy programs, school-connected learning, senior enrichment, digital literacy, community education, partner use, and public meetings.

The initiative will serve rural children, students, families, older adults, residents without reliable home internet, job seekers, people with disabilities, local organizations, and community partners in Fife Lake and nearby rural townships. Current demand shows that the Learning Hub will be used immediately. These numbers show that residents already rely on the library for learning, technology, connection, and public space. The project is ready to move forward.

The library owns the existing building footprint and expansion lot. The design is final, Mark Humitz of Cornwell Architects is onboard, a construction manager is in place, and groundbreaking is scheduled for Q3 2026. The campaign has secured or committed approximately $955,000 toward the $1.2 million total project cost, including a secured reimbursable federal grant that will be drawn down as eligible costs are incurred. If awarded, Impact100’s $120,000 grant would reduce the remaining project balance to approximately $125,000. The initiative will be implemented by a clear local team. Friends of the Fife Lake Public Library will serve as applicant and fiduciary, administering and tracking Impact100 funds. Fife Lake Public Library will own, operate, maintain, schedule, and program the Learning Hub. Library Director Cheyenne Wilcox and staff will lead activation planning, launch programming, partner coordination, and outcome tracking, with governance from the Library Board of Trustees, construction coordination from the architect and construction manager, and system support from Traverse Area District Library.

This initiative is transformational because it ensures the Learning Hub opens not as empty square footage, but as a fully equipped public learning environment from day one. With Impact100’s support, crowded programs can move into flexible space, wait-listed meeting requests can become scheduled use, seniors and residents with disabilities can participate more comfortably, digital learning can happen with appropriate technology, and the library can track outcomes through room reservations, program attendance, partner use, participation, and feedback.

The Learning Hub will be sustainable because it will become permanent library infrastructure, not a temporary grant-funded program. All Impact100-funded furnishings, technology, equipment, signage, and evaluation tools will be owned and maintained by Fife Lake Public Library as part of regular operations. Ongoing use will be supported through staff management, Library Board governance, Friends fundraising support, TADL infrastructure, community use, and annual review. Impact100’s investment will help Fife Lake open the Learning Hub not as an empty room, but as a fully activated public learning space rural residents can use from the day it opens. Read more

 Check Out: Fife Lake Public Library Wishlist & Website

2026 Impact100 TC $120,000 Grant Recipient.

The Bay Community Theatre has been a cherished movie house for over 75 years and will continue to show great movies to thousands of community members for years to come. The reality, however, is The Bay faces the same major challenges confronting all movie theaters. Specifically, the extended impact of Covid, disruptive Hollywood strikes, and the explosion of programming available via streaming have all hurt movie theatre attendance and profitability. Since the pandemic, 5,000 screens nationwide have gone dark, including the Bijou in Traverse City. Across the country, ticket sales at movie houses are down 16% since 2019.

The Opportunity: Unlike many movie theaters, The Bay Theatre has a full performing arts stage so it has the potential to expand its impact in the community by offering more and better quality live events. In addition to the physical stage, the theatre also has backstage “green rooms” and excellent acoustics for live events. Recent experiences have proven that, on average, our live performances are many times more profitable than our movies and create a real impact in the restaurants and retailers nearby. Surveys, focus groups, and interviews with community members have shown enthusiastic support for more live events at The Bay.

So why do we need this grant if we already have live events? Although The Bay Theatre has a full stage, the theatre lacks the full sound, lighting, and other auditorium equipment needed to execute top quality live events without hiring expensive contractors and rental equipment. Furthermore, the time and logistics of securing and setting up equipment from third parties requires extra preparation and downtime for the theatre. Renting sound and lighting equipment requires 3-5 hours of staff time per event and does not always offer the quality we need. Furthermore, to ensure a quality patron experience, we are also including in this project a new heating & A/C system to replace an unreliable nearly 30 year-old system. Our existing system has required costly repairs and professional inspections indicate it must be replaced soon.

So why not just use the sound system we have for movies? Our cinema sound equipment is specifically calibrated and dedicated for movies. Live events require a parallel system for stage sound for the audience, sound monitors for the artists on stage, microphones, and mixing and control interfaces. We also do not have a full lighting setup for live events nor equipment to stream in content such as guest speakers to accompany films or community events.

The Impact: The Bay will continue to be a popular place for movies but with enhanced live event capabilities, we can expand our schedule of live performances, improve the quality of the shows, and reduce the operating costs and complexity of our operation. This shift to more live events will benefit many (thousands) of people in our community each year and enable us to reach a wider variety of community groups. As one of the only year-round performing arts venues in Leelanau County, The Bay Theatre is an important anchor bringing the community together with shared experiences. Importantly, The Bay Community Theatre can not survive financially on movies alone so the addition of profitable live events are key to remaining viable for our future. Growing our audiences with profitable live events is a key strategic priority in the 2026-2030 Strategic Plan of the Bay Community Theatre.

Read more

 Check Out: The Bay Community Theatre Wishlist & Website

2026 Impact100 TC $120,000 Grant Recipient.

5Loaves2FishNMI Co-Founders Michelle and Bill White, with dedicated volunteers, came together in 2020 with a mission “to promote compassion by providing nourishing meals, infused with love, to those experiencing food insecurity and homelessness”. Leland Community United Methodist Church’s kitchen became the permanent location for planning, preparing, and packaging delicious homemade meals, transporting them directly to hungry guests in the Grand Traverse region, with no questions asked. To date,100,000 meals have been served.

5Loaves2FishNMI proposes to purchase a 2026 Ford F59 P700 14 foot Step Van to be retrofitted with an upgraded electrical system and two solar panels, two hot boxes, a refrigeration unit, custom cabinet storage, van shelving, two folding tables, an exterior wrap, and two rear racks. This vehicle would replace the current 2014 Dodge Van to provide a much needed increase in capacity, easier loading and unloading, as well as overall safer, more reliable delivery of homemade meals to designated meals sites in the Grand Traverse region. The van would also serve to transport food and equipment to fundraisers and educational events.

COMMUNITY TO BE SERVED 5Loaves2FishNMI provides nourishing homemade meals primarily to vulnerable individuals and families in Grand Traverse, Leelanau, and Benzie Counties. At Traverse City Veterans Memorial Park and Safe Harbor Emergency Shelter in Traverse City, guests are generally unsheltered, facing mental health challenges, and/or struggling with substance abuse or other issues. These are the folks that need the dignity offered from a meal made with love and served with no questions asked. Those guests who visit food pantries and meal sites in Lake Leelanau, Leland, Empire, Lake Ann, Suttons Bay, Peshawbestown, and Northport gratefully receive this food for themselves or a struggling friend or neighbor. 5L2F believes every person to be worthy of a nutritious meal. As this basic need is met, energy and dignity can be restored, allowing each guest to focus on other important life matters. Each time the 5L2F van arrives filled with delicious food, guests often appear to lend a hand unloading and setting up the meal site.

According to United Way, economic disparity reveals growth in the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) population of the Grand Traverse region. These individuals are hovering above the Federal Poverty Line, often unable to afford life’s basic necessities such as food and healthcare. ALICE households numbered 23% in Grand Traverse County (5% in poverty); 38% in Leelanau County (7% in poverty); and 27% in Benzie County (11% in poverty). According to Ashley Halliday-Schmandt, Director of the Northwest Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness, there are approximately 260 individuals in the area. In addition, Traverse City Area Public Schools reported 500 students as being homeless. Based on the per capita income of Michigan’s 83 counties, the Grand Traverse region ranked as follows: Leelanau County 2nd, Grand Traverse County 9th, and Benzie County 19th. As wealth increases in this area with financially comfortable individuals relocating or retiring here and a thriving tourist economy, there has been simultaneous growth of struggling young families, the elderly, and other vulnerable individuals.

The community being served by 5Loaves2FishNMI generally lacks resources for basic human needs, such as food, shelter, clothing, and household goods. With its aging van, the outreach delivers food directly to hungry individuals at area food pantries and meal sites. In addition, a community meal is offered weekly in the Leland Community Methodist Church fellowship hall, serving up to 100 individuals and families. This meals allows busy families, isolated individuals, and those struggling an opportunity to reach out to one another and strengthen their community. There is also a food pantry located at LCUMC for anyone needing extra food. The purchase a safer, more reliable vehicle, will greatly enhance 5L2F’s mission to feed people. Since its inception, the outreach has witnessed extensive growth in the number of meals served and with it a need for improved means of transporting those meals. The proposed 2026 Ford F59 P700 14 foot Step Van would allow more meals to safely reach food insecure guests and support the region’s food pantries and meal sites that serve them. The current van is inefficient and at times unsafe. Besides rising food costs, recent changes to Safe Harbor as a year around shelter and the closing of the Pines Campground have impacted the number of those struggling. At Traverse City Veterans Memorial Park hungry guests continue to arrive on foot, by bicycle, or in their cars (some of which double as shelter!), as they pick up meals for themselves and struggling friends and neighbors.

Co-Founders Bill and Michelle White, along with significant input and guidance from Kitchen Manager Josh Miller, would oversee the van’s purchase along with its upgrades. The new vehicle would be stored at LCUMC. This initiative would be transformative on many levels. The addition of refrigeration and hot boxes would ensure that nutritious food would be delivered in compliance with health and safety standards. Additional spacious storage areas for meals and supplies, combined with the ease of loading and unloading, would enhance the energy efficiency of 5L2F staff and volunteers. Also, this new retrofitted vehicle would improve driver and passenger safety, liability, and sustainability. Built to withstand unpredictable Northern Michigan weather, this van would allow nutritious meals to safely reach hungry guests in a timely manner. The attached exterior racks would accommodate extra equipment for transport as well. 5L2F’s expanded independence and geographical outreach would be an additional beneficial result. As the number of hungry guests expand, the current van poses safety concerns as it ages. Its diminished capacity and frequent repair needs cost 5L2F precious dollars that could otherwise be spent on food. This van is difficult to handle, especially in windy, rainy, and/or snowy weather, and threatens driver and passenger safety. It also lacks adequate storage space and is ergonomically inefficient for loading and unloading food and supplies. Should 5L2F continue at LCUMC or change locations in the future, the proposed van would be sustainable by following the organization to its new venue. Read More

Check out: 5Loaves2FishNMI Wishlist & Website

2025 Impact100 TC $116,000 Grant Recipient.

Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities is advancing Phase II of the Esperance Community Teaching Kitchen with a transformative initiative: expanding access to food-as-medicine education across Northwest Lower Michigan. With support from Impact100 Traverse City, the Esperance Community Teaching Kitchen will livestream, record, and distribute high-quality culinary medicine and nutrition training to underserved communities in the five-county region.

The initiative will establish the Esperance Community Teaching Kitchen as a regional broadcast hub and technical assistance center. It will deliver live and recorded classes, create an on-demand resource library, and provide continuing medical education for healthcare professionals. Partnerships with media outlets will further broaden access, reaching schools, food pantries, and households across the region.

This initiative represents transformational change by scaling a proven model. Programs like “Dinner with Your Doctor” have already shown improved health behaviors and empowered patients to better manage chronic conditions. By embedding food-as-medicine into both healthcare and community settings, the Esperance Community Teaching Kitchen strengthens vital connections between providers, patients, and families.  Long-term partnerships with healthcare systems like Munson Healthcare and a diversified revenue model—including healthcare contributions, class fees, sponsorships, rentals, and consulting—ensure growth beyond the grant period.

With an Impact100 Traverse City grant, this initiative will directly serve at least 500 individuals by 2027 while reaching thousands more digitally. Together, we can transform rural health, proving that food is not just nourishment—it is medicine. Read more

Check Out: Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities Wishlist & Website

2025 Impact100 TC $116,000 Grant Recipient.

The Women’s Resource Center mission is to protect, shelter and empower people impacted by domestic and sexual violence. Since 1999, we have operated our transitional house, offering stability for survivors rebuilding their lives. With support from Impact100 Traverse City, we will advance a transformational initiative: creating a survivor-centered studio apartment within the Women’s Resource Center’s transitional home.  Residing in an apartment where the environmental stressors of communal living have been removed gives survivors the foundation to build emotional and financial security free from the fears of homelessness or returning to a violent home.

This initiative is designed to meet survivors’ immediate housing needs while supporting long-term healing and independence. Residents have access to the Women’s Resource Center services including one-on-one advocacy and emotional support, court advocacy, safety planning and access to community resources that reduce barriers to recovery and foster resilience.

The Women’s Resource Center owns its transitional housing outright, ensuring stability for decades to come. Operating costs for the new unit—utilities, maintenance, and services—will be absorbed into the existing housing budget. Sustainability is a cornerstone: more than 51% of Women’s Resource Center’s annual revenue comes from nonprofit thrift stores, creating rare independence from government or grant funding. In addition, over $650,000 is raised annually through community giving, providing resilient, flexible support.

With an Impact100 Traverse City grant, the Women’s Resource Center will expand housing capacity, strengthen pathways to independence, and ensure survivors can build safe, thriving futures. Together, we can break cycles of violence and create lasting transformation for survivors and their families. Read more

Check Out: Women’s Resource Center Wishlist & Website