PonchoMeg: The Modern Bohemian Says Think Locally in 2010 (Michigan, I'm Going to Save You!!)

I wanted to make changes this year.  I wanted this year to be different.  Some of this will come by chance, but I think some of it has to be the direct result of efforts I put forth as well.
So in 2010, I am thinking locally!  I am going to make sure I shop locally even more than I already do, I will support local business people, bands, artists, visionaries and service providers, I will donate to local charities (as well as my other regulars, like the ASPCA), and I will get involved in more local activities.
Now, I happen to live in Michigan, so the following links mostly affect Michiganders.  BUT, there's nothing wrong with supporting another place's local economy, so non-Michiganders, feel free to browse as well.  There are some great large companies and small businesses in Michigan and tons of talent.

Eaton Rapids, Michigan

Check it out:

First of all, I have some resources to help you find more local stuffs:
Michigan's Official Website
Pure Michigan: Michigan's Official Travel and Tourism Site
Michigan Department of Agriculture: Give the Gift of a Michigan Made Product
Michigan Women's Marketplace
The Michigan Business Directory
Absolute Michigan: All Michigan, All The Time

Candles, Handmade Goodies, and Specialty Items (In person and Online!):

Great Lakes Candle Company, Lansing, MI
With Eyes Lifted: My friend Jessica's Etsy Shop, handmade in Michigan
Bohemia Too: Clothing, Accessories, Beads and Jewelry Crafting Supplies, Imports, Handmade, Gifts,   Novelty, Books, Etc. Located in Grand Rapids, MI.
Finders Keepers Variety Store: Located in Three Rivers, MI
Rustic Ridge Creations, Flint, MI
Island City Candle Company, Eaton Rapids, MI

The BIG Stores:
Meijer, Based in Grand Rapids, MI
Jiffy, Chelsea Milling Company, Chelsea, MI
Faygo: The Original Party Pop!, Detroit, MI
Gordon Food Service, Grand Rapids, MI
Kellogg's, Battle Creek, MI
Spartan Stores, Based in Grand Rapids, MI


Fine Arts, Entertainment, Tourism, and Local Talent:
Brena: An Alternative, Rock, Pop Band from Grand Rapids, MI
The Purple Rose Theatre (Jeff Daniels), Located in Chelsea, MI
Kelsey Kohlenberger's Voice Studio, Grand Rapids, MI
Goodrich Quality Theaters
Celebration Cinema

Heritage Guitar, Inc., Kalamazoo, MI
MichiganArtists.Com
Michigan Artist's Gallery, Sutton's Bay, MI
Elderly Instruments, Lansing, MI
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, Paradise, MI
Michigan Historical Museum, Lansing, MI
The Marshall Historical Society, Marshall, MI
Arts and Entertainment on Absolute Michigan
Frankenmuth: Michigan's Little Bavaria
Mackinac Island
Eminem, Amazingly Talented Rapper from Detroit, MI
The English Inn: Restaurant and Pub, Eaton Rapids, MI
Poetry Society of Michigan
Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, MI
Children's Ballet Theater of Michigan
City of East Lansing: Parks, Recreation, and Arts
Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids, MI
Mackinaw City, MI
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
MISC. Michigan Goodness:
Quality Dairy
Yahoo Local Information on Darb's, Mason, MI
MichiganWeed.Org: Informative Website on Marijuana in Michigan, Run by Local East Lansing Residents
Mark's Hot Diggity Dog Stand, Based in Eaton Rapids, MI
PonchoMeg: The Modern Bohemian: A Michigan Based Blog of a Modern Hippie, Bohemian, Free-Spirit Living in East Lansing, MI
Weird Michigan

Local Charities:
Greater Lansing Food Bank
Woldumar Nature Center, Lansing, MI
Mother Teresa House, Lansing, MI
Michigan Audubon, Lansing, MI
Ele's Place: A Healing Center for Grieving Children, Lansing, MI
Capital Area Humane Society
John Ball Zoo Society, Grand Rapids, MI
The Humane Society of Kent County
Grand Rapids Community Foundation, Grand Rapids, MI
Crash's Landing: Cat Rescue and Placement Center, Grand Rapids, MI

Michigan Schools, Colleges and Universities:
Grand Valley State University (My Alma Mater)
Central Michigan University 
Calvin College
Michigan State University (Where most of my house mates attend school)
University of Michigan
Western Michigan University
Lansing Community College
Grand Rapids Community College
Jackson Community College
Douglas J. Aveda Institute
Ferris State University
Eastern Michigan University

Michigan State Parks, Campgrounds, Natural Wonders:
Michigan DNRE: Natural Resources and Environment
Sleeping Bear Dunes
Mackinac Island
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
Tahquamenon Falls State Park

                                                           

Don't see the Michigan related item you were looking for?  Add links to great, local, Michigan resources in the comments section below, please!
I will probably continue to update this list...  I think it will be a great resource for me, and maybe others, to help us do more locally.
Enjoy!
Peace and Love,
Meagan

This is NOT a good sign of the times...

"The BoarsHead Theater is canceling the remainder of its 2009-10 performance season because it has run out of money.

The professional theater in Lansing had shut down last month in a bid to save $77,000 between early November and late January. It had planned to reopen early next year with a performance in January, but expected gifts from corporate donors failed to materialize." Read more at The Lansing State Journal Online

This is bad news friends...

If our economic situation doesn't improve soon, we are going to have some serious losses to deal with. The first thing that usually goes, especially when it comes to government funding and donations...are the fine arts. As a music teacher, this troubles me greatly because fine arts do so much to enhance lives, share ideas, change viewpoints, challenge authority, educate, inspire, and entertain. To lose them is to lose a part of ourselves that cannot be replaced with anything else.

As if this weren't bad enough...

Michigan public schools are being forced to make drastic changes in order to survive. (Budget cuts, layoffs, etc.)  And Universities are dropping entire programs! If there is one thing we need to keep funded it's schools, and yet with everything being so bad, schools are not getting what they need. This means that children are not getting the education that they need... and deserve.

Even worse...

"LANSING - The projections for 2010 are in and the funds needed to feed hungry people in the seven county mid-Michigan area are staggering. To continue to serve seniors, families and children the Mid-Michigan Food Bank needs to raise $2.8 million dollars. Up to 18,000 families, including a large number of children and seniors, will be turned away due to lack of food. The demand for food is such that the supplies at the Mid-Michigan Food Bank are depleted every 10 days." Read more at The Lansing State Journal Online

It just makes me wonder. Where are our priorities? We're worried about savings accounts and not being able to buy as many Christmas gifts this year (which are legitimate concerns, of course) but what's worse? Paying a bill late or having to shut down a school? Getting a gift card for your spouse instead of a new HDTV or knowing that 18,000 families will not have food this winter?

All I ask is this... since this is a season of giving, look around your community and see what you can do to help. Every little bit does something! Some ideas:

Donate canned goods to your local food bank

Make a monetary donation to a local fine arts organization

Send your child to school with extra supplies to donate to the classroom. (Pencils, pens, paper, tissue, hand sanitizer, etc.)

And open your mind and heart, and help those around you. If we all give a little, we all gain a lot more.

Peace and Love,

Meagan (PonchoMeg: The Modern Bohemian)