Chamber Leadership 2023 Chooses Club Cadillac for Growing Dreams

This year’s Cadillac Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program has chosen the local non-profit Club Cadillac, out of nearly a dozen applicants, for their $30,000 grant award. The Club Cadillac Collaborative: Growing Dreams will create new and improved garden facilities for their location at 2105 6th Ave, Cadillac, MI 49601.

The organization is a part of Clubhouse International and is dedicated to the recovery of men and women with mental illness by creating opportunities for members to live, work and learn while utilizing their talents in a community of mutual support. They offer several programs that allow members to return to the workforce and build skills and confidence for re-integration into everyday life. Members of the club have access to a small plot to grow their own fresh produce to be used and prepared in their own kitchen as part of the Wellness program.

The Leadership Group made their decision in the hopes that the money will be used to build infrastructure that will allow for the better production of fruits and vegetables and use of the space, but also to increase accessibility to the area for the many members with mobility issues.  The Leadership participants feel that community action typically focuses on youth and the elderly, but Club Cadillac is advocating for adults in our area faced with disabilities and hardships by creating a space and programs that will help them work and participate in our community in a meaningful way.

Fundraising efforts have already begun, and we will be contacting you to let you know how you can get involved. The project will come to completion by May 2024.

Plans are currently underway for fundraising events, and we look forward to updating you shortly. Stay tuned to our social media page, website, and local media venues for updates. Questions? Contact our Co-Chairs Caitlyn Taylor at caitlinmt77@gmail.com  or Tyler Vanderhoef at tvanderhoef@cadillaccasting.com