Grand Rapids mayor honors Interfaith Understanding advocates

Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell honored organizers of the 2012 Year of Interfaith Understanding among his Champions of Diversity, during his State of the City address on January 28.

The year-long, community-wide celebration of religious diversity brings hundreds of events to the area with support from Grand Valley’s Kaufman Interfaith Institute, the mayor’s office, the Grand Rapids Press, WGVU Public Media and the Grand Rapids Community Foundation and area campuses, congregations and community organizations.

Several people from Grand Valley were honored:
  - Douglas Kindschi, director Kaufman Interfaith Institute
  - Whitney Belprez, program manager Kaufman Interfaith Institute
  - Petra Alsoofy, former president of the Muslim Students Association at Grand Valley, now Kaufman Interfaith Institute advisory board member

Learn more about the 2012 Year of Interfaith Understanding at www.2012gr.org, or call 616-331-5702.