Partners Like Janet Make the CRC What It Is

Every Monday morning, community partner Janet Perreault from Disability Network West Michigan arrives at the Community Resource Center ready to walk alongside individuals and families facing some of life’s hardest challenges. As a Community Navigation Specialist, she helps guests understand and access disability benefits, Social Security, MDHHS services, employment supports, and more.

Her approach is simple and compassionate:
“Persons with disabilities, they come on in, and they tell me where they want to go and what they want to do. And I try to let them know what social services are out there to help support whatever their goals are.”

One moment she will never forget happened when an elderly man experiencing homelessness walked through the doors seeking help. After talking with him, Janet discovered that his wife had passed away seven years earlier, meaning he qualified for survivor benefits he never knew existed. “When he walked in the door, he had no income, and when he left, he knew he had $1,000 a month.” It’s moments like these that remind her why this work matters so deeply.

Janet has served in Muskegon her entire life and has seen firsthand how difficult it once was for people to navigate multiple agencies spread across town. The CRC, she says, has changed everything.

IT IS NIGHT AND DAY, THE EASE WITH WHICH WE CAN PROVIDE THESE SERVICES.”

Transportation barriers, long waitlists, and complicated systems make life overwhelming for many guests. But having a one-stop location filled with collaborative community partners creates a different experience. “It’s tremendous to be able to have a one-stop shop because transportation is such a huge issue.”

She loves seeing agencies work together, sharing resources instead of duplicating them, and helping families more efficiently. “We can just all do a better job that way.”

The work is emotional, and Janet admits it,

THE ONLY CHALLENGE HERE IS I ALWAYS TRY NOT TO CRY AT WORK.”

Although she shares that she has had happy tears too.

Through every story, every challenge, and every victory, Janet brings warmth, knowledge, and hope to those she serves. Her dedication is a shining example of what makes the Community Resource Center such a vital part of our mission, neighbors supporting neighbors, creating meaningful change one person at a time.

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