🌱 Mercy Health Over 100% Capacity + Holiday Dinner For Homeless

Hey, people of Grand Rapids! It's me again, Miranda Fraraccio, your host of the Grand Rapids Daily.

First, today's weather:

A little snow at times. High: 37 Low: 30.

Here are the top stories today in Grand Rapids:

1. Mercy Health St. Mary's and Mercy Health Muskegon are feeling the weight of the pandemic yet again — and worse than ever before. St. Mary's is over 100% capacity for beds and has expanded out units to meet current needs. It's a grim reality for doctors and nurses, especially during the holidays. Visitor restrictions, recently re-implemented, mean medical workers are often the only people there for patients who are critically ill. (Fox17)
2. For three decades, volunteers have enthusiastically gone into the kitchen to prepare a special dinner for the homeless community in Grand Rapids on Thanksgiving Eve. This year, Wholesaler H.T. Hackney partnered with Degage Ministries to provide approximately 200 meals to the homeless served by the organization. The annual event was held at the shelter, located at 144 Division Ave. (mlive.com)
3. After going virtual last year for the pandemic, the Grand Rapids Public Schools Turkey Trotreturned in person this Thanksgiving. (WOODTV.com)
4. Chabad of Western Michigan will once again host its Grand Menorah Celebration in downtown Grand Rapids this weekend. (Fox17)
5. Dinosaurs will soon be coming to DeVos Place! (GR|MAG)

Today in Grand Rapids:

• JA Fall Movie Premiere: Encanto - Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes (9:00 AM)

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• Save 15% On All L.L.Bean Wicked Good Slippers — For A Limited Time (November 29)
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You're officially in the loop for today! I'll catch up with you bright and early Monday with another update. If you're into these newsletters, consider bringing some friends and neighbors into the fold. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a born and raised Rhode Islander. She works as a freelance copywriter for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and as an assistant producer for a live-lit storytelling show in Chicago. She holds a degree in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies from The University of Rhode Island. In her free time, you can find her traveling, hiking, or photographing her neighborhood as a street photographer.