{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://scholten.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-scholten-announces-800k-grant-mel-trotter-ministries-through-dept-health", "Rep. Scholten Announces $800k Grant to Mel Trotter Ministries Through Dept. of Health and Human Services", "2023-10-02", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "MI", "Hillary J. Scholten", "S001221", "scholten.house.gov", "scholten", "https://scholten.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2013 Rep. Hillary Scholten (MI-03) today announced that Mel TrotterMinistries will receive $800k from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services\u2019 Administration for Children and Families for Jireh Metal to expand current metal stamping manufacturing capabilities and create jobs.\n\nMel Trotter Ministries is a nonprofit organization that works to expand opportunity for West Michiganders experiencing hunger and homelessness. Mel Trotter Ministries partners with Jireh Metal to provide job training opportunities for the Michiganders they serve.\n\nThe expansion of metal stamping manufacturing capabilities through this grant will create 32 full-time positions within Kent County for low-income and special-needs Michiganders as well as returning citizens.\n\n\u201cThe partnership between Mel Trotter Ministries and Jireh Metal is truly changing lives \u2013 providing Michiganders with the second chances they deserve and setting them up for long-term success,\u201d said Rep. Scholten.\u201cThis grant is the final piece of the puzzle that these organizations need to support this project, and I\u2019m proud to have played a small part in securing this investment to this much-needed cause.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor nearly 124 years, Mel Trotter has assisted individuals secure and maintain employment. Our experience with many people experiencing homelessness is that they want to work. Many, however, need to gain skills and find an employer to give them a chance. Our partnership with Jireh Metal is a great example at what can happen when the for-profit and non-profit sectors work together to find a win for everyone, most importantly the person trying to leave homelessness. These partnerships are an important strategy as we as a community move the needle back on homelessness,\u201d said Dennis Van Kampen, CEO of Mel Trotter Ministries.\n\n\u201cHiring solid employees is key to Jireh\u2019s success and its expansion plans. We will continue to be an employer who provides opportunity to individuals with little or no work experience and those with challenged histories. We will maintain a holistic view on how we help employees retain and improve their employability. Our partnership with Mel Trotter in our recruiting and retention efforts is critical to Jireh Metal Products growth and long-term sustainability,\u201d said Michael Davenport, CEO of Jireh Metal Products.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://scholten.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-scholten-announces-800k-grant-mel-trotter-ministries-through-dept-health"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.970835030078888, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}