IMPART Alliance is proud to announce the opening of A Caregiver’s Butterfly Garden at the Ishpeming Multi-Purpose Senior Center—marking an exciting milestone for this growing, statewide initiative. Opening February 19, this installation represents the fourth Butterfly Garden exhibit overall and the first to land in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, expanding the project’s reach to new communities and caregivers across the region.
The exhibit will debut with a soft launch on February 19, welcoming the Senior Center’s members and staff for an intimate introduction to the Garden. Following the launch, the exhibit will be open to the public through January 2027 during regular business hours, inviting visitors from across the UP to experience this powerful, community-driven tribute.
Expanding Impact Through Satellite Gardens
In addition to the main installation in Ishpeming, this phase of the project includes the creation of six satellite Butterfly Gardens that will be announced in the coming weeks. These satellite sites are designed to extend the Garden’s mission even further—recruiting, retaining, and honoring Direct Care Workers (DCWs) while engaging the broader care ecosystem.
Through both the main exhibit and its satellite gardens, this effort will intentionally reach:
- Direct Care Worker employers
- High school students exploring future career paths
- Veterans
- People with disabilities
- Native American communities
- Immigrant populations
Together, these sites will help weave a regional network of recognition, storytelling, and opportunity around the vital work of caregiving.
A Living Tribute to Caregivers
Each butterfly in the Garden represents a caregiver’s story—personal, professional, and often unseen. As the Garden continues to grow, so does its role as a tool for awareness, workforce development, and community pride.
Call to Action for Direct Care Workers:
Direct Care Worker employers are invited to become part of the Garden by ordering a butterfly kit (serves 25 DCWs) and sharing DCW’s stories. Visit dcwgardens.com to request a kit and help your story take flight. Butterflies will be sent to IMPART to become part of the Ishpeming exhibit and will migrate from there in 2027.
As A Caregiver’s Butterfly Garden opens its wings in Ishpeming, IMPART Alliance is honored to bring this message of dignity, gratitude, and possibility to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula—and to continue building momentum across the state, one butterfly at a time.
This project has been made possible through a grant awarded to IMPART Alliance by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.