Nick Kuiper lent his production skills to create a six-minute video supporting a collaborative
project for the Open Arms Child Advocacy Center and another nonprofit, the Newaygo
County Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.A regional facility in White Cloud is in development and a Ferris State University associate professor in Television and Digital Media Production has offered his talents to make a case for supporting the Center for Hope and Healing. The facility is a collaborative project for the Open Arms Child Advocacy Center and another nonprofit, the Newaygo County Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.
Nick Kuiper, a 2006 TDMP alumnus who has taught in the program for more than a decade, lent his production skills to create a six-minute video. The short feature explains the need for this facility, intended to offer advocacy in child abuse and neglect cases for youngsters from Newaygo, Lake, Osceola and Mecosta counties.
“Wendy Samuels, who is my daughter’s grandmother, asked if I could help them develop a video,” Kuiper said. “I was happy to fit it into my schedule, which meant gathering interviews with 10 people who could tell the story of these organizations while making the case to support a new home for the Center for Hope and Healing.”
Samuels was the director for Ferris’ Social Work program and is an officer in the capital campaign as board chair for Open Arms.
“Nick did such an amazing job in this video,” Samuels said. “It really tells the stories of our organizations while explaining the existing need for this center. His willingness to support us and collaborate on this project was such a benefit for the campaign.”
Samuels explained that the Newaygo County Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect purchased the building on the north end of White Cloud to house the center and council. There had been a silent phase of solicitation to secure donations and support for the development of this facility, with an open house held on Wednesday, Nov. 17, to thank donors and welcome new supporters. Kuiper’s video debuted during that event to open the public phase of the capital campaign.
“The collaboration with the NCPCA has been excellent, so we look forward to both nonprofits serving their clientele from this building,” Samuels said. “Each operation was at the point of needing more space, and this facility allows us to design a floor plan that is conducive for sessions with clients and their families, in a location that is accessible, across our four-county service area.”
The 23,000 square-foot building is around 40 years old, seeing its first use as a shopping center, with sections serving as a banquet hall and church in recent years. The capital campaign seeks to upgrade heating and cooling, replace the roof on the building, improve the ceiling and floors and resurface the parking area.