From access to fresh, healthy food for families, to veterans discovering emotional healing through equine therapy, to children learning resilience and teamwork through golf lessons: These are among the programs that are being made possible by the latest round of grants from the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area (CFHZ).
The foundation has awarded $217,000 in responsive grants to nonprofits addressing housing, basic needs, and youth services.
“Our responsive grants support our vision of a thriving community where each individual has access to opportunities to achieve their full potential,” says Yadah V. Ramirez, director of community impact. “We are grateful to partner with these nonprofit organizations and support their unique missions.”
Community Action House
Amount Awarded: $60,000 over two years
Purpose: To expand staffing and infrastructure for the Food Club & Opportunity Hub and respond to a growing demand for Community Action House’s services. Community Action House provides the community with about 3.5 million meals worth of food annually. It supports more than 1,500 low-income households weekly with dignified access to nutritious food, resource navigation, and financial wellness. Expanding services at the Food Club & Opportunity Hub will allow CAH to continue to meet the growing demand for services.
"We’re incredibly grateful for the Community Foundation’s continued belief and trust in our work, and excited that they’ve joined alongside so many others in our community to help us expand our service,” says Scott Rumpsa, CEO of Community Action House.
“In the coming months, we’ll be working to increase our service hours and streamline our guest experience – all part of our ongoing effort to serve the rising number of struggling families who turn to us for fresh, healthy food access, resource connection, and financial empowerment."
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Courtesy Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area
Renew Therapeutic Riding Center
Amount Awarded: $60,000 over two years
Purpose: To fund the expansion of the Renew Equine Assisted Learning programs (REAL) to serve veterans, first responders, and children in foster care. Data from the 2023 Ottawa County Community Health Needs Assessment shows a gap in services for those populations. Expanding REAL programs offers a place for these individuals to grow their emotional regulation, cognitive processing, and healthy relationship building.
"This generous two-year gift will accomplish multiple objectives by first providing necessary funds to complete Phase Two of the Ride with Renew capital campaign and then for the expansion of REAL programming for critical populations in our community – children in foster care, veterans and first responders, and children learning to read,” says Melissa Conner, Renew’s executive director. “We are confident that this gift will bring about lasting change in the lives of people living with challenges through the transformative power of equine assisted services.”
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Courtesy Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland AreaA Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area grant will support the housing need in Ottawa County by providing 52 units of high-quality, sustainable, and inclusive housing to low-income individuals and families.
Dwelling Place
Amount Awarded: $40,000
Purpose: To support the housing need in Ottawa County by providing 52 units of high-quality, sustainable, and inclusive housing to low-income individuals and families. According to a recent Housing Needs Assessment, Ottawa County will require up to 4,385 new rental units by 2025 to accommodate current and future demand. This housing development project will increase the supply of affordable housing, reduce housing insecurity, and contribute to the long-term health and stability of the community.
The Salvation Army
Amount Awarded: $27,000
Purpose: To assist in developing a sustainable day camp program by increasing weekly capacity from 17 to 50 campers. The day camp provides quality childcare to working parents with limited financial resources. Access to childcare was identified in the 2023 Ottawa County Community Health Needs Assessment as an issue for 21.1% of participants.
Children’s Advocacy Center
Amount Awarded: $15,000
Purpose: To ensure that the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) child abuse prevention education is accessible to all community members. In partnership with Latin Americans United for Progress (LAUP), CAC will offer its Darkness to Light child sexual abuse prevention and intervention training in Spanish along with a 6-week group class.
“We know that with adult education, most child sexual abuse can be prevented or interrupted. At the Children’s Advocacy Center, we recognize that prevention education is critical to accomplishing our mission and that to be effective, our efforts must be inclusive,” says Rachael DeWitt, CAC’s executive director.
“We are thrilled to partner with LAUP to collaborate on creating and implementing child abuse prevention curriculum in Spanish for adults. Along with curriculum development, we are excited to launch a multi-faceted awareness campaign in Spanish with the goal of more widely preventing and interrupting child sexual abuse in our community."
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Courtesy Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland AreaFirst Tee will use a Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area grant to expand staffing and position the organization for growth.
The First Tee of West Michigan
Amount Awarded: $15,000
Purpose: To expand staffing and position the organization for growth. First Tee is a youth development organization that teaches students ages 7-17 life lessons through the game of golf. They help students prepare for life after grade school through teaching goal setting, collaborating with others, positive self-identity, and good judgment.
“First Tee is creating a programming culture that is inclusive, diverse, and welcoming to everyone. Kids from all over our community are learning hands-on life lessons through the game of golf. We are so grateful for everyone who made this possible,” says Jeff Keyser, the organization’s Holland area director.
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