Since 2005, 3Sixty has been working in Holland's Eastcore neighborhood to build a community where each resident feels known and committed to the well-being of the neighborhood.
The Holland nonprofit has been awarded a $35,000 grant over two years to launch a leadership program that gives Eastcore residents the processes and tools they need to continue making sustainable change for themselves and their community.
"We believe our Eastcore neighborhood is full of assets just waiting to be leveraged for its flourishing,” says Jake Norris, executive director of 3Sixty. “The most overlooked assets are the gifts of the individuals who call Eastcore home, especially our underrepresented neighbors. In supporting 3Sixty’s place-based leadership program, the Community Foundation of Holland/Zeeland is investing in the residents living here and helping them shape the future of this neighborhood."
The grant was one of seven awarded by the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area, which recently distributed $201,000 as part of its responsive grantmaking program. The grants supported nonprofit organizations with a broad range of goals, including supporting former foster youth, community development work, and increasing accessibility.
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Holland Museums hopes to improve accessiblity with a new grant.
“Our responsive grants support our vision of a thriving community for all who live and work in the Holland/Zeeland area,” says Yadah V. Ramirez, director of community impact. “Using Community’s Endowment dollars, we assist local nonprofits as they respond to promising opportunities and pressing needs, helping extend their missions and increase their impact.”
In addition to 3Sixty, grants were awarded to:
Grant Me Hope: Grant Me Hope Homes – The Rock
Amount awarded: $40,000
Purpose:
To launch services for male former foster youths at the former Rock Island Restaurant, which has been remodeled into a dormitory-style home. Providing safe and supportive transitional housing and programs for these young adults will help them learn the skills and save the money they need to transition to successful independent living.
Latin Americans United for Progress: LAUP community center development
Amount awarded: $40,000
Purpose: To develop an empty warehouse connected to the LAUP office into a center for community development, events, and increased program offerings. The space will be a gathering place for the Hispanic/Latino community to socialize, learn, and access resources and opportunities.
Empowering Youth Global Connection: Expanding EYGC cultural programming
Amount awarded: $32,900 over two years.
Purpose: To expand capacity for cultural appreciation classes and to add a new life-skills class for teens coming from immigrant or adoptive families. Immigrant teens are vulnerable to additional stress and anxiety during adolescence and are often relied heavily upon by their parents and younger siblings. EYGC will help provide a pathway to education and empowerment.
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Holland: Southside Unit entrance and safety improvements
Amount awarded: $20,000
Purpose: To provide student members and their families using the southside facility with a safer arrival and departure experience.
Hand2Hand: Nutrition packs and backpacks
Amount awarded: $9,800
Purpose: To supply 1,857 Holland/Zeeland area students ages 3-18 with a backpack and a nutrition pack containing nutrition information, a water bottle, and healthy snacks. This approach gives families tools to build healthy eating habits.
Holland Museum: Addressing accessibility
Amount Awarded: $23,733
Purpose: To increase accessibility in the museum's spaces through the installation of a hearing loop system, addition of headsets for guided tours, updated signage, and installation of ADA power door operators.
“As an institution that values life-long learning opportunities and seeks to welcome everyone and their stories, this project strikes at the very core of our guiding values,” says Joseph McCluskey, development and communications associate director at Holland Museum. “Through this grant, we will be able to ensure that many more guests can enter our spaces with dignity, navigate them with clarity, and fully participate in the many educational opportunities that we offer."
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