LET’S GET REAL

A program facilitated in collaboration with HQ’s Comprehensive Health Initiative.

HQ, a local agency that provides resources to youth ages 14-24 experiencing unsafe/unstable housing or who are homeless in West Michigan by creating a safe space through their drop-in center. A Trauma & Solution Focused Training curriculum was created to address the needs of this particular demographic.



Through this ten (10) session group youth are engaged in learning about experiencing trauma, what trauma is, how past trauma affects them, what their trauma triggers are, what their current attachment style is and how it’s connected to the way they process and perceive relationships.

Intervention activities include defining what feelings and emotions are, various interactive activities as well as guided imagery activities. Daily journaling and self-evaluation are key components of this program.

Real Life, Real Moves Chess Club

Facilitation of this program is seasonal and runs from the 2nd week of May through the 2nd week of September. 

Participants learn the skill of the game of chess from the realistic standpoint of life and the consistently changing variables based on personal decision making. The strategies utilized will help participants to navigate what’s to come based on the positioning of chess pieces (yourself) and how to be 3 to 4 moves ahead of your opponent (life) and physically articulate (decisions) the best way to checkmate your opponent and be victorious (successful).

Hand-Up Services

This program allows us to partner with residents, agencies, organizations and community partners.

We partner to fulfill a need of assistance for minor tasks while duly providing an environment for selected individuals to perform community services, as a designated number of ‘community investment’ is required of all Realism Is Loyalty participant’s. We also partner with local probation departments to provide sites in the community that individuals live in can reap the benefits of those services and instill a sense of pride and equity in their neighborhoods.

Cure Violence

Global Program

Violence is like an epidemic disease, and it can be effectively prevented using health methods.

We are playing a key role in helping get this worldwide program to Grand Rapids.