Dear friends,
November is Homelessness Awareness Month. As I write this, our Outreach team is working alongside 250+ neighbors experiencing homelessness here in our community - each individual with their own unique story, challenges, and dreams for the future. Neighbors like Denise, who work diligently through each step required to secure housing, but find their momentum halted when there aren’t enough affordable homes for the people who need them. The journey towards stability is all the more difficult, and feels even more hopeless, when there aren’t homes to find at the end of the road.
Every day, our Outreach team works to provide critical resources - food, clothing, showers, and more - while partnering to pursue long term stability. Every day, our team celebrates stories of hope, and small wins, while walking with our neighbors through incredibly difficult trials. This year, we’ve celebrated 80 homeless-to-housed success stories so far; each one the culmination of a remarkable journey that we’re honored to be a part of.
Our mission has long been “...to help individuals and families by providing food, clothing, and shelter, and the opportunity to develop skills that will help them live a stable and prosperous life.” Since our earliest days, we’ve assisted neighbors in securing safe, affordable housing because we know it’s vital to a family’s ability to thrive. In Ottawa County, a recent study found that our rental housing vacancy rate is 1%, while a healthy market has a rate of about 5-6%. Housing is scarce and costs continue to rise. Families teetering on the edge of a crisis struggle to hold it all together, and neighbors who are unhoused face a series of hurdles that make regaining stability feel almost impossible.
Addressing this growing crisis will take all of us working creatively together. Last year we shared about our plans, in partnership with Dwelling Place, to add 52 mixed-income affordable rental homes in our community. Groundbreaking is anticipated in late spring 2025, and we’re thrilled to see progress - but we know that for people struggling with housing, right now, long term solutions don’t meet immediate needs. This month, we invite you to read stories, learn about housing insecurity in our own community, and help meet urgent needs while our team works one-on-one with guests to build toward a brighter future. As the weather turns colder, you can support our unhoused neighbors by:
Volunteering at our Community Kitchen or with the Refresh program;
Hosting a Winter Gear Drive with your church, school, or business; and/or
Donating winter gear items through our Amazon wishlist.
Everyone deserves a safe home. Everyone deserves good food. Everyone deserves the opportunity to build a strong foundation for their family. And everyone needs a community that believes in them - their worth, their dignity, and their potential. Thank you for working alongside us to build a community where this vision becomes a reality.
Sincerely,
Scott Rumpsa | Chief Executive Officer
Program Updates
Financial Wellness
Last year, Miranda* attended our Homebuyer Education class, where she shared her dream of someday becoming a homeowner. Following the class, she partnered with our Financial Wellness Specialist, Tabitha, for individual pre-purchase counseling.
Working together each step of the way, they created a clear plan to turn Miranda’s dream into a reality. After building a budget, Miranda was able to pay down her credit cards, boost her credit score, and start saving for a down payment, feeling hopeful that her dream was within reach.
One year later, Tabitha received a call from Miranda with exciting news: Miranda had just purchased the home of her dreams! Grateful for Tabitha’s partnership, Miranda shared that she’s excited to continue saving to build toward a brighter financial future. So far this year, 13 Homebuyer Education participants just like Miranda, have achieved their goal of purchasing a home, and we’re so lucky to celebrate alongside them as they work toward a stable, prosperous life!
*Name changed for privacy
Food Club
Instructor Ken Freestone brought warmth and excitement to last month’s hands-on Healthy@Home class, “Super Easy Bread Baking”. The class welcomed 13 neighbors, eager to roll up their sleeves and learn the art of making, shaping, and baking bread from scratch.
Ken’s enthusiasm was contagious, and within the hour, participants felt empowered to incorporate nutritious, homemade bread into their meals at home. He even demonstrated how to make a gluten-free loaf, which thrilled one guest with a gluten intolerance. Reflecting on the experience, she shared how exciting it was to realize that baking gluten-free bread at home is not only simple, but also cost-effective!
The class was a hit, and each guest left with a loaf, a batch of dough, and the confidence to make their own bread at home. Through Healthy@Home classes like these, we’re equipping our community with the practical skills necessary to eat healthier and build a stronger future!
Interested in attending a Healthy@Home class?
Outreach
Last month, our Outreach Team hosted a Mobile Secretary of State Office (Mobile SOS) and a Voter Registration event with our partners at First United Methodist Church. The Mobile SOS, provided by the Secretary of State of Michigan, offers almost all of the services of a brick-and-mortar secretary of state, but with the flexibility to operate out of locations that are more accessible for neighbors experiencing homelessness.
Our team connected 14 guests with the Mobile SOS in October, walking alongside them to understand the services available and complete the necessary paperwork to replace their ID, renew their driver's license, or update their legal address– items that are critical in finding employment, housing, and accessing other essential services. Because of the Mobile SOS, so many of our neighbors who would otherwise face overwhelming transportation barriers, had the opportunity to take meaningful steps toward stability, opening doors to a brighter future.
After working with the county clerk to understand the documents needed for people experiencing homelessness to register to vote, the League of Women Voters sponsored a Voter Registration at Refresh. At the event, 8 guests were connected to the resources necessary to become a registered voter, with an additional 30 neighbors learning about the importance of voting. We are so grateful for the League of Women Voters’ partnership, empowering our community to exercise their right to vote to build a brighter future!
Community Kitchen
Last month, we kicked off a wonderful new partnership with Pillar Church at the Community Kitchen! Pillar Church recently launched a new Sunday service in the Chapel at Western Theological Seminary. Being onsite every Sunday for their service, they assembled a team and have now adopted our Sunday volunteer shifts at the Community Kitchen.
The Pillar Church volunteers dove right in— from flipping pancakes to serving meals, they worked together as a team—all while creating a radically welcome space where every guest felt seen, valued, and cared for. We’re so grateful to their team for helping us build a stronger, healthier community, and look forward to their continued partnership!
Interested in making a difference with your own team? Gather a group of 3-6 people and Adopt-a-Shift at the Community Kitchen to power our service for one day each month!
Program Highlight
Celebrating three years of Food Club!
On October 25th, we celebrated 3 years of Food Club during CommunityFest, an annual celebration alongside our Food Club members, full of fun activities, local food, and connection to resources!
Thank you to our sponsors, Family Fare and Lake Trust Credit Union, and all of our community partners for bringing fun to Food Club! Your support means that we can continue to celebrate with, nourish, and empower our neighbors.
This Thanksgiving Season, Share More than a Meal
As Thanksgiving approaches, many of us will gather to share a meal with friends and family- reflecting on what we’re grateful for, and feeling the warmth and hope of the holidays. Yet, for one in three families in Ottawa County, meeting basic needs remains a daily challenge. Please consider a generous donation to help us share more than a meal this Thanksgiving!
Every $40 donation can provide nutritious Thanksgiving groceries for a family in our community
In Case You Missed It
Fox 17 Morning Mix: Celebrating Food Club’s Third Anniversary
Director of Food Access, Chara Bouma-Prediger, shared on the Morning Mix last month about Food Club’s third anniversary, impact, and next steps.
Michigan Sustainable Business Forum
Community Action House was recognized as a 2024 West Michigan Sustainable Business of the Year for Lakeshore Food Rescue Program by the MiSBF.
WHTC's Talk of the Town
In October, CEO Scott Rumpsa was featured on WHTC's Talk of the Town and spoke about the third anniversary of Food Club, its impact, and future.
Food Club Mobile Market Coming Soon!
Our new Food Club Mobile Market is coming soon, an initiative that will increase fresh food access to help build healthy neighborhoods.
Join The Movement
Volunteer
Volunteer time and talent powers our programs.
Donate Monthly
Provide a stable foundation for our service each month.
Host a Drive
Hold a donation drive to directly support our guests.
