🌱 Snowflake Break + AYA Youth Collective's Drop-In Center

Good day, people of Grand Rapids! Miranda Fraraccio here with a brand-new copy of the Grand Rapids Daily.

First, today's weather:

Some sun, then turning cloudy. High: 37 Low: 25.

Here are the top 3 stories in Grand Rapids today:

1. Join the Grand Rapids Public Museum this holiday season for Snowflake Break, along with lots of other fun events for the whole family. Among their other exhibits like Bats: Masters of the Night and Popnology, guests can experience some exciting holiday fun and activities. Kent County residents under the age of 17 get free admission. (WOODTV.com)
2. A Grand Rapids organization helps teens and young adults facing housing instability. AYA Youth Collective's Drop-In Center, located on State Street in Downtown Grand Rapids, is a place where teens and young adults can come during the day to do laundry, take a shower, take a nap, play music, or hang out. The drop-in center also helps the youth aged 14 to 24 with things that come with navigating adulthood: finding housing, applying for an I.D., signing up for driver's training, making doctors appointments, obtaining official documents, and more. (WZZM13.com)
3. Michigan State Police Grand Rapids post hosted a chili cookoff to settle a tie after their "Battle of the Badges" blood drive in Nov. Along with enjoying some warm chili, MSP also collected snack donations for Kids Food Basket. (Fox17)

Today's Grand Rapids Daily is brought to you in part by our friends at Ring, the home security company. Ring does a lot more than doorbells: check out their full suite of smart home products at Ring.com. And thank you Ring for helping to make local news happen in Grand Rapids!

Today in Grand Rapids:

• GRPL Birthday Bash, At Main Library - Grand Rapids Public Library (9:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• Dance Magazine has named Grand Rapids Ballet Company dancer Adriana Wagenveld a 2022 “25 to Watch.” (Instagram)
• This holiday season might be just the right time to consider getting a protector for your home. If you are thinking of a protection dog, give West Michigan K9 a call. (Instagram)
• Reminder: Kent County kids enjoy free general admission every day and Kent County adults and seniors enjoy reduced admission. (Facebook)

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You're officially in the loop for today. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

— 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.