The Holland After Hours Rotary Club has generously provided a new wheelchair and motorized shopping cart for use in the newly constructed Food Club & Opportunity Hub, with funding from a Rotary District 6290 matching grant and support from Gentex.
Community Action House staff anticipate that 90+ guests will benefit from the wheelchair and shopping cart, allowing them to shop more easily and independently around the Food Club floor. Program Manager, Chara Bouma-Prediger, shared, “At Food Club, we aim to be a welcoming and trusted space for all of our neighbors, and part of that is ensuring accessibility for all while they're in the space. With Rotary's generous support, we are thrilled to be able to offer both a wheelchair and a motorized shopping cart to our guests to improve their shopping experience.”
Since opening in October of 2021, the Action House team has already seen the benefits of a model that emphasizes fresh, healthy food. Recently, a Food Club guest with a history of mobility issues shared that in the five months he’s been at Food Club, he’s moving around more easily, feeling healthier, and has lost 50 pounds. The newly donated wheelchair and motorized cart will make shopping easier for other guests facing mobility challenges.
Food Club & Opportunity Hub opened last October, located in the former Yff’s neighborhood grocery location at 739 Paw Paw. In just seven months of service, over 1,645 qualifying low-income families have already benefited from the Food Club’s membership-based program that provides healthy food access via a grocery store-style experience. Alongside healthy food access, Food Club aims to provide service in a high-dignity, high-choice environment, with a focus on allowing guests to choose the food and shopping times that work best for their families.
In addition to fresh produce, meat, and dairy, the Food Club & Opportunity Hub provides the tools and resources members need to achieve both food access and financial stability. Guests can shop, then stop in at the Opportunity Hub, where Resource Specialists are available to connect them to financial education services, foreclosure prevention, and other community resources.
The Rotary Club gathered to celebrate the new wheelchair and motorized shopping cart on Thursday, May 26.
About Community Action House
Community Action House is a locally-founded, locally-funded nonprofit with a mission to provide families and
individuals with food, clothing, shelter and the opportunity to build necessary skills to achieve a stable and prosperous life. Founded in 1969, the 501(c)3 nonprofit serves the Ottawa and Allegan County community from a base in Holland, offering several programs, including their Food Club, Community Kitchen, Resource Navigation, Financial Wellness & Homeownership, and Homeless Outreach efforts. Learn more and get involved at www.communityactionhouse.org. Food Club is a 2021 expansion of Community Action House’s service offerings. More on the Food Club model can be found at www.hzfoodclub.org.
Contact:
Katy Russner-Travis | katyrt@communityactionhouse.org | (616) 392-2368 ext. 140Community Action House |739 Paw Paw Drive, Holland,MI 49423
