CAH’s Food Club to launch a mobile version

What’s happening: The Community Action House is celebrating the third anniversary of the Food Club & Opportunity Hub with big news. It’s launching a new Food Club Mobile Market, a mobile version of the Food Club. 

Courtesy Community Action HouseVolunteers are cashiers at Community Action House Food Club.

What it will mean: The Food Club Mobile Market will offer food access in low-income neighborhoods with transportation barriers. Working alongside local health care providers, the Community Action House team is also pursuing medically tailored offerings for Food Club members to help treat and prevent health conditions that are influenced by nutrition.

Courtesy CAHCommunity Action House's Food Club and Opportunity Hub is located at 739 Paw Paw Drive in Holland.

Why it is important:  With a focus on healthy food access and resource connection for low income neighbors, the Food Club is an alternative to traditional emergency food pantries. Since its inception in 2021, the Food Club & Opportunity Hub:
 

• Has given 5,637 families access to healthy groceries.
• Provided  enough groceries for 3.5 million meals.
• Made 43,733 referrals to connect neighbors in need to critical community resources.
• Equipped over 1,000 neighbors through health and nutrition classes. 
• Experienced the support of 1,373 volunteers. 

Courtesy CAHFood Club guests shop just like they would at any grocery store, but use points instead of money.
What are they saying: “In the past two years, we’ve seen a 60% increase in the number of neighbors turning to us for support,” says Scott Rumpsa, CEO at Community Action House. “This rise highlights the growing need in our community, and we are committed to partnering with our neighbors in those moments between a challenge and a crisis to build a brighter future.”

And there’s more: In response to the growing cost-of-living challenge for many residents, CAH is rolling out new initiatives in the coming year. In collaboration with Dwelling Place, Community Action House plans to break ground on two new mixed-income affordable housing developments in 2025, providing 52 urgently needed affordable rental homes. 

The Mobile Market team will also work alongside local health care providers to pursue medically designed offerings for Food Club members to help treat and prevent health conditions that are influenced by nutrition. 

Courtesy CAHVolunteers and staff rescue food that might otherwise end up in a landfill.

How it works; Open six days a week, the Food Club & Opportunity Hub provides more than access to food –  it empowers individuals and families by addressing the root causes of food insecurity. 

Through a participatory membership-based model, families have access to fresh, nutritious food at Food Club, while the Opportunity Hub offers services such as financial education, health and nutrition programming, and streamlined connections to community resources. 

Courtesy Community Action HouseA volunteer helps stock the shelves at the Community Action House Food Club.

Other services: With onsite Financial Wellness services covering topics such as budgeting, saving, first-time home buying, and foreclosure prevention, guests leave feeling empowered to build a brighter financial future.