Liz Hornyak: On today’s episode, EMU’s theatre department is donating masks to the community, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has partnered with Kroger to make a new testing site, and the grant for the new Ypsilanti Amtrak station was denied. Also in news, the Ypsilanti Housing Commission and EMU’s Family Empowerment Program have partnered up to help Ypsilanti families amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m your host Liz Hornyak and this is the Eastern Echo Podcast.

Madeline Huggins, a faculty member of EMU’s theatre department, is leading the community effort to create masks from materials from EMU’S costume shop. Once the masks are created, they’re donated to St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor, essential workers, and others who are in need. Overall, Madeline Huggins and her team of students have made over 200 masks.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has partnered with Kroger to create a new testing site for the Ypsilanti community. This testing site opened on May 18, and will last until the end of the month. The site is located at the Ford Elementary School parking lot at 2440 E. Clark Rd. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Due to limited supplies, this site is meant for people who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. When you arrive, you must have photo ID ready. Individuals will be instructed to give themselves a nose swab and can expect results within forty-eight hours. To check your eligibility or to make an appointment you can go to www.thelittleclinic.com/drivethru-testing.

A $1.3 million grant application for an Amtrak station that was to be built in Ypsilanti’s Depot Town has been denied. The station was originally intended to provide safer public transportation and economic prosperity to the Ypsilanti community. City Manager McMullan stated that the  grant was denied for several reasons, including the fact that outdated data was used to show how many people would use the train, Amtrak showed little support for the project, and had little support on the federal level. Mayor Bashert hopes that an opportunity for the project to continue will arise in the future.

The Ypsilanti Housing Commission and EMU’s Family Empowerment program have partnered together to help families that live in Ypsilanti Housing Commissions complexes. Together, these organizations have provided food pantries bi-weekly. They’ve also partnered with a local transportation business to transport residents to grocery stores and doctor appointments for free. Additionally, both organizations have given these families cleaning supplies and masks. You can find more on this story and all the stories we covered today at easternecho.com.

Host: Liz Hornyak

Script: Jasmine Boyd

Produced: Lauren Smith

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