Fresh Coast Alliance

27/08/2026

Today's training was catered by Navarro's Mexican Take-Out and it was fantastic. Everyone loved the taco bar.

27/08/2026

Community expungement clinic! Looking for freedom from your past? See if you qualify.

Clear your record and open doors to new opportunities!

Gaining Unity Through Non-Violent Solutions (G.U.N.S.) is partnering with the City of Muskegon, Safe & Just Michigan, Muskegon County Public Defender, Muskegon Heights Police, West Michigan Lake Hawks in Flight Foundation, and the Michigan Attorney General’s Office to offer an Expungement Clinic.

Volunteer attorneys will be on-site to review your record, check eligibility under Michigan law, and help you navigate the process. Free community resources and limited funding assistance for processing fees will also be available!

📅 Friday, Sept. 18
⏰ 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Walk-ins accepted until 2:00 PM)
📍 Lake Hawks Community Center | 95 W. Broadway Ave., Muskegon Heights
💵 Some funding available to help cover processing fees

Pre-registration is strongly encouraged so legal partners can review your information ahead of time.

👉 Sign up today: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdsGySAAWZlA1DVFG_9ZBF-Qqs9xYS1e8JlkDVSr-A1Wa3Myg/viewform

26/08/2026

what a great opportunity to learn and get support.

For those participants that currently have an ignition interlock device or plan to get one in the near future, put this on your calendar!!! You need to hear this info!! RSVP to your case worker if you plan to attend.

24/08/2026

💙 Thank you, Church of the Dunes!

We were honored to join you in Grand Haven for your Missions Moment. It was a joy to fellowship with your congregation, share a little about the work happening at Fresh Coast Alliance, and be encouraged and inspired by the Word.

We are so grateful for churches that care deeply about their communities and believe in coming alongside those impacted by incarceration, addiction, and the journey toward a fresh start.

Thank you for welcoming us so warmly! We loved spending the morning with you. 💙

Watch the whole service: https://www.youtube.com/live/6lLeXVobCcg?si=HFDXmH0X3xeLn40J&t=898

21/08/2026

🎶 Two weeks ago, we were at Unity! 🎶

The music was awesome, the people were amazing, and our team loved being part of the community that happens when thousands of people come together for a weekend like this.

We had so many great conversations, celebrated recovery, met new friends, connected with old ones, and had an all-around incredible time!

A huge thank you to the Unity Christian Music Festival team for putting on such a great event and allowing Fresh Coast Alliance to be part of it. 💙

And yes... this is absolutely a photo dump because we had WAY too many good pictures not to share. 📸😂

19/08/2026

💙 Would you know what to do?

Would you know what to do if someone overdosed?

Would you know how to respond if someone came to you and said, “I want to get clean”?

Would you know how to support a friend whose spouse is actively using?

If you answered “no” to one or more of these questions, this training is for you.

Join us for the Faith Communities Zero Overdose Training and learn practical tools for responding to substance use, overdose, and recovery in your church and community.

📅 Thursday, August 27
🕚 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
📍 Fresh Coast Alliance
🍽️ Lunch provided!
💙 FREE—registration required https://forms.gle/DxQDmrMKvvk9776N8

Faith communities have an incredible opportunity to be places of safety, compassion, connection, and hope. Come learn how to be better equipped when someone reaches out for help.

Register today and bring someone from your church, nonprofit volunteers, or ministry team!

17/08/2026

💙 Reentry United 2026!

On Friday, some of our Fresh Coast team had the opportunity to attend the 4th Annual Reentry United at GVSU, and what a day it was!

The team hosted our Fresh Coast booth, while Anje and Michael led a workshop on Trauma-Informed Reentry Services—and WOW! The room was packed. There wasn't an empty seat, and people were even standing in the back! We are so encouraged by the number of people who are eager to learn how we can better support people returning home from incarceration.

We also loved connecting with some of our incredible partners from across Michigan and seeing so many familiar faces from right here in our own community.

Reentry is better when we do it together. We're grateful for everyone who continues to show up, learn, collaborate, and believe in fresh starts.

A huge THANK YOU to Michigan Works! West Central for coordinating this important event and bringing so many people together around the work of reentry.

We're already looking forward to next year! 💙

13/08/2026

An Open Letter to the Person Who Took the Bike

To the person who took the bike from our porch,

You probably don't know whose bike it was.

It belonged to someone who had just gotten a job. Someone who has been working hard to rebuild his life. That bike wasn't just a bike—it was his transportation to work, his independence, and another step toward the future he's been fighting for.

You also may not know where that bike came from.

It was donated by people who believe in second chances. Community partners who want to remove barriers for individuals working to rebuild their lives. They give because they believe that something as simple as a bicycle can change someone's future.

While classes were happening inside and people were working toward recovery and stability, you sat on our porch, in front of our security cameras, and made a decision to take what did not belong to you.

We're disappointed.

But here's what we want you to know:

If you're the person who took it, you're welcome to bring it back. No questions asked. No lecture.

And if you took it because you're struggling—because you're hungry, because you're unhoused, because substance use has you trapped, because you don't know where else to turn—come inside.

We'll share a meal with you.

We'll listen.

We'll connect you with resources.

We'll talk about recovery if you're ready.

We'll walk alongside you.

That's what we do.

We believe people are more than the worst decision they've ever made. We believe fresh starts are possible. We believe grace and accountability can exist together.

We hope you'll choose to return the bike.

But even more than that, we hope you'll choose a different path.

The door is open.

-The Fresh Coast Team

(Pictures are not of the stolen bike, just bikes our people depend on)

12/08/2026

🌱 What’s Growing Wednesday? 🍅

The tomatoes are RIPENING—and we picked so many today! 🍅🍅🍅

Next week, we might even have some cabbage ready to harvest. Watching this garden grow has been one of the highlights of the summer, but even better has been watching our community grow right alongside it.

Tending the garden has become a favorite for so many of our folks. There’s something special about planting, caring, harvesting, and enjoying the fruits of your work together.

And now we're already dreaming about next year…

🌱 More garden beds?
🥕 More variety?
🍅 More things to grow?

What do you think we should add next year?

11/08/2026

💙 How long have you been sober?

That question on our whiteboard at Unity Christian Music Festival has stopped people in their tracks.

Hours. Days. Months. Years. Decades.

People of all ages have stopped to write mark their time and celebrate what God has done in their lives. From teenagers taking their first steps toward recovery to those who have walked this road for decades, each one represents a story—and every story is worth celebrating.

We are reminded again and again that recovery is happening all around us. God is moving in the recovery community. 🙌

We're honored to celebrate every person who stopped, shared their story, and reminded us that there is hope for a fresh start.

Keep going. Keep showing up. Keep celebrating the wins. 💙