FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Marshall, MI – [July 15, 2025] – The Marshall Community Foundation has awarded a historic $100,000 grant to Starr Commonwealth to expand its F.O.C.U.S. Forward program (Forging Opportunities for Career Upskilling and Success), which provides comprehensive wraparound support to young adults overcoming barriers to employment and education.
At a check presentation ceremony, Shannon Tiernan, Executive Director of the Marshall Community Foundation, celebrated the partnership:
“Breaking down barriers to work is among the top priorities from our 2025 community survey, which will help guide our strategic investments in the coming years. This grant is the largest in the Foundation’s 57-year history, and it will have a generational impact for local young people who deserve every chance to succeed.”
Elizabeth Carey, President and CEO of Starr Commonwealth, shared moving examples of how F.O.C.U.S. Forward is already transforming lives, including helping a formerly homeless student find housing, graduate high school, and secure full-time local employment.
“This investment is not so much an investment in Starr as it is an investment in our community partnership and the youth we serve. It ensures that the next young person who needs housing, food security, transportation, child care, counseling, and someone who believes in them will get that support on their path forward,” Carey said. “We are honored to be part of this historic commitment to our community’s future.”
Launched in Summer 2024 as a pilot program with state and local partners, F.O.C.U.S. Forward serves youth ages 16–24 in Marshall and throughout Calhoun County, offering wraparound supports coupled with workforce training and mentorship to help them build stable, independent futures.
About Starr Commonwealth
Starr Commonwealth has been dedicated to healing trauma and building resilience in children and families for more than a century. Learn more about Starr and F.O.C.U.S. Forward at www.starr.org/focus-forward.
About the Marshall Community Foundation
For over 50 years, the Marshall Community Foundation has connected donors and nonprofits to strengthen the Marshall area through strategic philanthropy and community investment.
