Urban Alliance located at 1009 E Stockbridge Ave. in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Joel Bissell | MLive.comJoel Bissell | MLive.com

KALAMAZOO, MI – The community can learn more about the way Urban Alliance helps people during an open house at the organization’s newly renovated space.

The Wednesday, Aug. 24, open house is for Urban Alliance, 1009 E. Stockbridge Ave., to celebrate recent accomplishments, explain programming shifts with COVID-19 and introduce partners, a news release from the nonprofit said.

Urban Alliance was founded in 1999 and has worked to provide support and stability for marginalized people, the release said.

“The services and supports we offer at Urban Alliance have evolved to meet ever-changing challenges,” Executive Director Chris Pompey said in the release. “We shifted as needed when COVID hit to accommodate safety and access concerns. In the process, we identified areas of greater need that shifted Urban Alliance’s efforts accordingly.”

Street outreach is now a greater emphasis for Urban Alliance, the release said. The organization still provides its core services, but they’re also responding to traumatic events, building relationships with people experiencing homelessness and expanding youth outreach.

They held three Life Camps this summer, teaching children 11 to 16 to become advocates against gun violence.

Related: ‘Our hands were made to heal not to kill,’ says Kalamazoo organizer of marches against gun violence

Urban Alliance has used the building, a former church, in the Edison neighborhood since 2015, and bought it in 2020.

Recent renovations to the building include bringing it up to code, reconfiguring the space and aesthetic improvements.

“We view this open house as a way to invite the community to visit our newly renovated space, learn about our efforts to improve the community and its residents, and celebrate our shared progress and potential,” Pompey said.

Urban Alliance partners with numerous organizations, including weekly meetings with Kalamazoo Premier Chess Club, weekly visits from Kalamazoo Gospel Ministries mobile shower, monthly diaper distribution through St. Luke’s Diaper Bank and multiple Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

Numerous organizations also use Urban Alliance’s building, including Building Blocks, GLOW, Synergy Center, Kalamazoo Empowerment, GVI, Edison Chapel and Uthrive LLC.

“Urban Alliance is well-threaded within the Edison, Eastside and Northside neighborhoods,” Pompey said. “We are proud to be part of this community and do our part to preserve this space.”

The public open house will allow people to learn more about Urban Alliance, meet the organization’s partners and get involved with volunteer opportunities, the release said.

The open house runs from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 24, at Urban Alliance’s building, 1009 E. Stockbridge Ave.

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