Foundation gives grants to 4 nonprofits to promote healthier parenting

The Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area (CFHZ) recently distributed $145,000 between four nonprofits, investing in efforts to increase the consistency of a healthy and caring adult presence in local children’s lives. 

These grants were made through the Community Foundation’s proactive grant program, which invests in areas identified by nonprofit partners and community leaders as critical priorities. 

Few factors are more critical to a child’s current and long-term well-being than the presence of caring adults and a physically and emotionally safe environment. However, many parents or primary caregivers struggle to provide stability for reasons including the financial and logistical challenges faced by single parents; the difficulty of establishing consistent family routines because they work multiple jobs or odd shifts; absence due to incarceration; or the difficulties of healthy parenting caused by their own adverse childhood experiences. 

“These grants are focused on supporting families needing services and investing in prevention work to keep households stable and safe,” says Yadah V. Ramirez, CFHZ’s director of community impact. “Fostering healthy and caring adult relationships in children' lives helps create a strong foundation for their development and ensure a brighter future where all in our community can achieve their full potential." 

The four nonprofit organizations that received funding are Single MOMM, Arbor Circle, Midtown Counseling Services, and Radiant Roots Doula Network.  

Single MOMM 
Amount awarded: $60,000 over two years  
Purpose: Establishing comprehensive support for single moms 
This initiative continues work that began last year as the Traverse City-based nonprofit replicates its model for the Holland/Zeeland area. In partnership with Movement West Michigan, Single MOMM held listening sessions to understand 
the needs of single mothers in our community and use their feedback to develop programming. Three primary concerns emerged: lack of awareness and advocacy regarding existing resources; waitlists and communication delays inhibiting support; and lack of community, leading to unhealthy relationships and feelings of isolation. In response, Single MOMM will offer parenting classes, resource navigation assistance, and mental health support services for single mothers. 

Arbor Circle 
Amount awarded: $30,000 
Purpose: Increasing father-friendly services in Ottawa County 
Arbor Circle began focusing on fatherhood programming in  2010, and by fiscal year 2023, 60% of its parenting clients in Ottawa were fathers. Their proposal, on behalf of the Fatherhood Coalition, aims to research, understand, and address the needs of fathers and father figures as well as the barriers to engaging them, leading to the development of tools, resources, and training to support them. This will help address a significant gap in the community’s support services for male caregivers, resulting in healthier outcomes for children and families. 

“We are so grateful for this opportunity to partner on an initiative specifically supporting fathers,” says Leigh Moerdyke, program director of Arbor Circle’s Prevention and Advocacy Division. “The engagement of fathers and father figures is critical to ensuring families can thrive.”

Midtown Counseling Services 
Amount awarded: $30,000  
Purpose: Family/parental engagement in on-site school counseling for Holland Public Schools 
Midtown Counseling Services works with students and families through their on-site  school counseling program at Holland Public Schools to provide counseling during the school day by therapists specializing in youth therapy and certified in trauma-focused therapy. This grant will help deepen the family and parental engagement by offering free counseling to family members of the student; parenting classes offered by Midtown counselors, including an option for Spanish-speaking parents; art therapy; life skill groups where children and their caregivers together practice different skills such as cooking or gardening; and collaborative efforts with other local nonprofits to support  parents and caregivers.  

“With our 2017 initiative to bring trauma-focused therapy to Holland Public Schools, we discovered a key pathway to reach students on-site during their school day,” says Robert VanWyngarden, of Midtown Counseling. “Now, we are leveraging these student-counselor relationships to reach out to student families with new opportunities.” 

Radiant Roots Doulas Network 
Amount awarded: $25,000  
Purpose: Doula services and community birthing classes 
Radiant Roots Doula Network serves families during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum by providing high-quality and culturally responsive services. Their affordable assistance includes two or three prenatal visits, hands-on and emotional support during birth, advocacy for the client’s rights and priorities throughout the birth, and at least one postpartum visit. The organization is expanding into Ottawa County in response to requests for service in this area. 

This grant will help increase their capacity to offer doula services and community birthing classes. Helping new parents navigate their new roles and care for themselves and their babies is critical to the family's healthy start and to creating a solid foundation for the parent(s) to build on in the months and years ahead. 

“We at Radiant Roots Doula Network are thrilled to be honored with this grant,” says Allison Brito, of Radiant Roots Doulas Network. “It will be instrumental in our efforts to make quality prenatal and birth care accessible for those most at risk in Ottawa County.”