Community Action House, Local Partners, WHTC
Nina Vestal
WHTC: Hunger Awareness Weekend

Tune into last week's WHTC Talk of the Town episode where our very own Assistant Director of Food Access, Chara Bouma-Prediger, and Annual Funds Manager Shanna Van Kempen speak on all of the events taking place this weekend during Holland's Hunger Awareness, and how you can get involved!

Holland Sentinel: Lakeshore Food Rescue

Lakeshore Food Rescue is a community-powered initiative of Community Action House, in partnership with Ottawa Food, the county’s food policy council. LFR works with partners across sectors to collect and redistribute excess food that would have otherwise gone to the landfill.

Designed to harness volunteer power and scale food recovery efforts, Community Action House is utilizing the Food Rescue Hero app, which has redirected 150 million pounds of food across the country since its launch in 2016! Lakeshore Food Rescue is seeking new food donors and nonprofit partners to utilize the app. Restaurants, grocery stores, farmers markets, government agencies, and other businesses can donate food quickly and easily online, submitting information that prompts volunteers to select a pickup through the Food Rescue Hero app. Nonprofit organizations can sign up to receive food, and the program is looking for agencies who can receive and distribute prepared food to guests.

You can read more from the Holland Sentinel article HERE!

Want to get started right away? Download the app right now!


WZZM: Lakeshore Food Rescue Launch!

As part of our recent Lakeshore Food Rescue program expansion, Community Action House is launching the local use of a nationally recognized food rescue app! The app will connect food donors to nonprofits, with a focus on keeping food local and close to its source.

Starting July 13, volunteers who download the app can sign up for flexible shifts, driving their own vehicles to recover food from donors and transport it to local food access partners. By recruiting individual volunteers, Lakeshore Food Rescue plans to expand across the county to rescue more food and increase healthy food access for the 10,000 individuals in the area who are food insecure.

“The Food Rescue Hero app will be a huge step forward for Lakeshore Food Rescue. By inviting individuals to volunteer with us, we can dramatically expand our service and offer fresh, healthy food to more partners across the county! Students can fill time in between classes, seniors can find meaningful structure for their retirement, and parents can show their kids the impact that individuals can make in our community.” - Krista Burgett, Lakeshore Food Rescue Manager

May 2023 eNewsletter

Program Updates

Outreach

In partnership with Community Mental Health, we added a Recovery Coach, Joy, to our Outreach Team in 2022 - a targeted approach to help remove barriers for guests as they work towards stability. Already, we’re seeing the impact of deep relationship building, and are able to provide specialized support and greater connection to mental health resources.

Joy recently met with another local recovery coach, Angela (name changed for privacy) who was formerly unhoused and living in the area. Angela shared that Community Action House gave her respect, dignity, and was a welcoming source of help for her and her children, during a time that she felt undeserving of support. Because of Action House, Angela said that she began to believe in herself and her ability to “do hard things and accomplish goals.” After sharing her story with Joy, Angela gave her a big hug, and shared that she “could not have made it, if it wasn’t for Community Action House.”

Everyone deserves a safe home, good food, and a community that believes in them. Stories like Angela’s are why we’re here - and it's only possible because of neighbors like you!

Financial Wellness

Last month, our team wrapped up our 12 week long VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program. VITA Volunteers help qualifying neighbors complete their tax returns at no cost!

Our crew of 19 volunteers prepared 340 tax returns, resulting in $322,000 in federal refunds and $231,000 in state refunds - a grand total of $553,000 brought back into our community! When learning about the impact VITA made for guests, one volunteer shared:

"That is so unreal to think we helped clients get that much money back for themselves and their family along with most of that money probably going back into our local community... Over a half million dollars at 350 returns comes to an average of almost $1,600 per return. That makes every minute we volunteer for the VITA program just that much more exciting to know the financial help we have given so many. I enjoy knowing the positive financial impact on the clients we serve. You made my day."

Food Club

Chef Lindsay Payleitner of GROW Café + Bistro worked as a kitchen specialist at the Community Kitchen last winter. This year, she and her co-owner/husband, Alec, volunteered at the Food Club. Those experiences inspired them to spearhead a new pilot program for our Food Club guests!

Each week this February and March, their team strategically chose a few hundred pounds of rescued food and, like culinary magic, brought it back a few days later as meals packaged in oven-ready tins. By the end of the pilot run, they’d prepared over 300 meals for more than 1,000 neighbors! It takes outside-the-box thinking of community members like Lindsay and Alec to sustain and expand our impact at Food Club. We’re so grateful for their support! Read more about their creative meals and inspiration here.

Community Kitchen

Each week, volunteer teams from Preferred Employment & Living Supports and Brothers & Sisters Homes through Holland Deacons Conference join us at the Community Kitchen! Many of these volunteers attend a bowling league every Thursday, and last month, our Kitchen team showed up to cheer them on!

We love that the Community Kitchen provides more than a meal, and is a space where guests, volunteers, and staff in all walks of life can build community. Interested in joining our volunteer team? Visit communityactionhouse.org/volunteer to sign up today!

In Case You Missed It

CAH News & Updates

WHTC: Earth Day with Lakeshore Food Rescue - Community Action House

Tune in as our Food Access Program Manager, Chara, and Food Rescue Specialist, Aubree, discuss Lakeshore Food Rescue, celebrate Earth Day, and discuss ways to get involved on WHTC's Talk of the Town.

Holland approves plan to sell land for affordable housing project

Holland City Council approved a plan to sell surplus property to two local nonprofit organizations. The proposal allows Dwelling Place and Community Action House to purchase the city-owned property at 345 Kollen Park Drive. The nonprofits plan to create an affordable housing development.

Ottawa County determines ARPA money recipients

Community Action House, in partnership with Ottawa Food, the county's food policy council, is expanding their Lakeshore Food Rescue Initiative with funding through Ottawa County and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Read our 2022 Annual Report!

We're proud to share our 2022 Annual Report! Read stories of life-altering financial progress, health improvements, and moments of joy, all made possible by our community.

Save the Date!

March with us in the Tulip Time Parade!

Represent Community Action House at the Tulip Time Parade on Saturday, May 13, 12pm-4pm!

We are looking for volunteers to walk with us, hold our banner, and wave to spectators on the parade route as representatives of Community Action House. Learn more and sign up here!

Interested in learning more about our Affordable Housing Project with Dwelling Place?

Attend a community engagement session at the Kollen Park Bandshell on Tuesday, May 16, 12pm-3pm.

Dwelling Place of Grand Rapids, a nonprofit community development corporation, has been working with Action House on a potential new affordable housing development. Join us on May 16 for a Project Design Open House! Learn more.

Join us for Holland's Hunger Awareness Weekend!

Saturday, May 20 - Sunday, May 21.

This month, two national events take place in Holland to support local food access. Action House is grateful to receive both direct food donations and financial support from these events, and we invite you to participate!

  • The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, Saturday, May 20, is led by the National Association of Letter Carriers. Place nonperishable items in your mailbox before 9am on May 20, and postal workers, along with volunteers, will collect the items to distribute to local food access organizations!

  • The Annual CROP Hunger Walk, Sunday, May 21, is a nationwide movement sponsored by Church World Services (CWS) to raise funds to end hunger and poverty in the U.S. and around the world. Join us at Centennial Park from 1-3pm as a walker, to drop off food donations, or to learn more about local nonprofits working to improve food access! Learn more here.

Join the Movement

Volunteer

Volunteer time and talent powers our programs.

Donate Monthly

Provide a stable foundation for our service each month.

Apply

Use your skills to make a difference.

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Culinary Magic: Turning Rescued Food into Meal-Kits for our neighbors!

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In the winter of 2021-2022, Chef Lindsay Payleitner worked as a kitchen specialist at our Community Kitchen. This winter, she and her co-owner/husband, Alec, volunteered at the Food Club. Those experiences inspired them to spearhead a new pilot program for our Food Club guests!

CEO Update - 3 Big Announcements!

As a community-powered nonprofit, we’re chartered to think and work creatively to respond to community trends and opportunities. Our core values drive us to design our work with our guests’ needs & perspectives at the center of our decision-making, and to work together with our entire community to find the better way, in areas big and small. Today, I am excited to share about three big new initiatives. You’re an important part of our work, so I want to keep you informed on the big steps we’re taking to better serve our community!

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March 2023 eNewsletter

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We remain committed to standing alongside our neighbors in the critical moment between a challenge and a crisis, to ensure that all in our community have the resources they need to achieve stability. This work is only possible because of people like you, and we're incredibly grateful for your belief and support.

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February 2023 eNewsletter

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We believe that our community’s biggest asset is our people. Everyone deserves a safe home. Everyone deserves good food. Everyone deserves the opportunity to build a brighter future. And everyone needs a community that believes in them - their worth, their dignity, their possibility. We’re grateful for the multitude of individuals & partners working alongside us to create a community where this is true for all of our neighbors.

 
 

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