December 10th, 2024
By: WoodTV8
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Time is running out to experience the sights and sounds of the Christkindl Markt before its seasonal stalls are taken down. But behind the festive atmosphere, there’s a meaningful story about how its stalls came to be — and the lives they’ve touched.
The Christkindl Markt’s stalls were built by Next Step, a subsidiary of Mel Trotter Ministries. The organization runs a seven-week skills training program designed to help adults facing homelessness, addiction, and other challenges. Participants gain technical skills for trades jobs, along with valuable soft skills such as money management and resume building.
One of the craftsmen who helped build the Christkindl Markt stalls is Darion Boyd, a graduate of Next Step’s program. Boyd, who spent time on and off the streets of Grand Rapids, joined the program last year.
“I wasn’t making the best decisions in my life, and I wanted to do something to change my trajectory,” Boyd said.
His uncle, who had completed the program, introduced him to Next Step, and Boyd quickly saw how the skills offered could transform his future.
“He saw the value in it,” Boyd explained. “I got familiar with the coordinator, Roger, and I realized that if I could learn these skills, they could elevate my life, and I could probably inspire my family and help others.”
Boyd graduated from the program in August 2023, and he wasted no time applying his new skills. He joined Next Step’s carpentry division and took charge of building the Christkindl Markt stalls, which led to additional requests to create more stalls for this year’s event.
“It was a sense of accomplishment because, obviously, they liked the work we’ve done,” Boyd said. “I think it was also a challenge because it’s competitive, and we have a small team.”
Next Step Executive Director David Bult emphasized that the program is about more than just technical skills.
“It’s not just ‘I’m learning technical skills,’” he said. “I’m becoming a better person and a better member of the community to help this community flourish.”
Now, Boyd and others are preparing for their next big challenge: building a community of “tiny homes” near Next Step’s headquarters, a project that will help individuals find stable housing while continuing their path to self-sufficiency.
The village will consist of 16 homes, each up to 530 square feet, with one or two bedrooms, a bathroom, in-unit laundry, and an open floor plan. The homes will house 16 to 25 people from the program.
“All of the community is inward-facing, so the front porches all face each other to build a real sense of community,” Bult said.
Boyd will play a key role in constructing the homes, helping build the wall panels and floors before transporting them across the street to the new village.
“They’re closing that gap to getting us into these skilled trades that people in my community really don’t see,” Boyd said. “That’s helping the economy. That’s helping the community, and it’s bettering people’s lives.”
As of Tuesday, Next Step is still $800,000 short of its $2.8 million goal for the village but expects the homes to be completed by the end of 2026.
Boyd, who now works in the carpentry division at Next Step, is also partnering with his mother and the same uncle who helped him turn his life around to support the initiative.
