Listening to new voices
sparks community learning.

In 2000, Nokomis Foundation launched the New Voices Initiative to listen to the voices of women and girls who are marginalized in our community. Two projects emerged from this initiative:

Nurturing a New Start

This project supports women incarcerated in the Kent County Correctional Facility by building links between the women and the larger community and promoting the development of gender-responsive programming for women in the correctional facility. Nurturing a New Start is a collaborative effort of Nokomis Foundation, Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women, Planned Parenthood Centers of West Michigan, the Women�s Resource Center, and the YWCA West Central Michigan.

Prostitution Round Table

This project helps women and girls involved in street prostitution in Grand Rapids make positive choices for their lives. The Prostitution Round Table has facilitated a learning process through which community organizations can more effectively address both the needs of prostituted women and girls and the issues surrounding prostitution. More than 35 organizations have been involved in the project.

Learn more

We Can Do Better: Helping Prostituted Women and Girls in Grand Rapids Make Healthy Choices was published in 2002 to share lessons from the Prostitution Round Table.