Despite its nickname, "Island City," Plainwell won't remind you of any other island vacation destination. Only part of the town is technically an island; the Kalamazoo River, runs through town splitting it into two narrow sections and then loops around the center of Plainwell to reconnect south of town.  Plainwell's vibe is much more small-town Midwestern charm than tropical paradise.   Plainwell was founded in 1853 - and has seen some good times and some challenging times throughout the years.  Good times included hotels, plank-roads, lumber mills, railroads, paper production, meat packing, metal stamping, etc.  Some not-so-good times included closure of the Plainwell Paper mill which caused some 400 job losses.  Come to Plainwell and your time will be spent helping  "the least of these" - you don't have to go far to find families that fit that description.  The need is evident.  Your group will bring needed help and hope to a community.  Join hundreds of teens from all over the country to serve and love on the residents of  Plainwell and Allegan County next summer!