GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Grand Rapids foundation is hoping to bring the community together with their second annual Piecing Together Unity event.
The event is hosted by the Pieces of Reece's Foundation, which helps support children in West Michigan, from providing clothes and food to helping children build connections in the community.
Executive Director Daryl Reece began the foundation with his wife back in 2019. He said he was involved with the Boys and Girls Club when he grew up in Benton Harbor and Kalamazoo, and that the foundation has allowed him to form more connections with those clubs.
Reece said that while the foundation's name is a pun, it connects to their mission.
"We kind of piece things together and give back to our community," he said.
During the day, Reece works as a barber and beautician. He said part of what the foundation does is show that there are successful paths that don't require a college degree.
"What our foundation is to empower the youth with life skills, trade, education and mentorship. So we're trying to get kids scholarships and help them understand things in trade," Reece said. "Everybody's not going to be able to go to college. So we're trying to get them in the trade space, construction, electrician, things like that."
On Saturday, Aug. 17, the second annual Piecing Together Unity Festival will be held at Rosa Parks Circle. The free event will include food vendors, DJs, live music, poetry readings and more. There will also be informational booths for organizations like the Boys and Girls Club and the American Cancer Society, as well as a voter registration table.
"It's just a diverse thing where we're piecing the community together in different ways," Reece said.
The event is from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Rosa Parks Circle. It is free to attend. Pieces of Reece's has also partnered with the Grand Rapids Art Museum, and you can visit the museum for free on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To learn more, donate or volunteer, click here.