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A beach.

writing samples

When you start a career in social work, you may not realize that writing is an integral part of this career. It is just about helping people, right?  Actually, much of social work is documenting client successes and struggles, evaluating progress, and assessing families. These skills transfer very well to bringing these stories to the community. As a part of the development team at CFS, I have brought to life stories of our clients, our successes, and have also written grants to help fund our work. 

An image of the Brown Bag Campaign logo.

Brown Bag Campaign stories

I am responsible for running this campaign each year for Child and Family Services of NW MI. Local newspapers across northern Michigan feature stories about our foster and adoptive families and insert a bag mailer for donations. This year the campaign raised over $34,000. Two stories that I wrote are listed here: 

The Power of Sibling Bonds
Life as a Foster Parent is Hard, but Worth It

Little Brown Bags Make a Difference

Families First Magazine

I have written several articles for local publications, including this article, "Love Extended through Adoption" in the October/November 2020 issue Families First Magazine

Another version can be found on the CFS blog here

Gratefulness and adding a practice of gratitude during the holidays:

Gratefulness

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Image by J. Kelly Brito

Grant Writing

I have written over 50 grants in the past three years. Some of the grants that I am most proud of are listed here: 

MHEF Community Impact Grant
MHEF Telehealth Grant
MHEF Community Impact Grant Report

Foster Parent Recruitment and Retention Grant

Although this is dated, I enjoyed blogging about my experiences while bike racing. I think about resuming this again from time to time, but for now it is a great snapshot of a time that was a lot of fun! 

I can ride my bike with no handlebars...

Melissa riding down a rocky hill in the desert.
A group of women racing bicycles in downtown Traverse City.

Grand Traverse Woman Magazine

I have several articles that were published in the GTWoman Magazine, from featuring foster and adoptive families to personal articles. 

My (Biking) Addiction

Miscellaneous 

I have written several blog posts and articles in a variety of settings. Links are below. 

Would your child tell YOU if they were sexually abused? The Gingerbread House

Art on a wall that states, "Hope for good. Plan for better. Create the best." by @alexsaesthetics
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