Program Updates

Financial Wellness

A year ago, Sandra* and Mark* came to Community Action House with a dream of becoming homeowners, but they weren’t sure where to begin. Partnering with our Financial Wellness team, they took the first steps forward: reviewing their credit, building a realistic budget, and gaining the tools and knowledge needed to move toward their goal.

One year later, Sandra and Mark returned with stronger financial footing and renewed confidence. They had saved thousands toward a down payment and nearly paid off their credit cards. After qualifying for a loan, their bank connected them with Jubilee Ministries, where they toured a home and soon placed a reservation. Last month they were approved by Jubilee to move forward with the purchase, and will move in soon!

As they prepare for this next chapter, Sandra and Mark continue working with our Financial Wellness team—building savings for home emergencies and strengthening their budget to pursue their long-term financial goals. With the right support to help fill in the gaps, share expertise, and offer encouragement, neighbors like Sandra and Mark are building stronger financial futures.

*Names and photo changed for privacy

Outreach & Housing Access

Several years ago, Mateo* connected with our team while living outdoors and struggling to access food. With support from our team he received food assistance, but additional barriers to stability stood in the way. Mateo was also experiencing identity theft, and the false information attached to his name prevented him from qualifying for housing. For more than a year, our team partnered with Mateo to work through paperwork, documentation, and countless obstacles to resolve it.

Once the identity theft was cleared, Mateo secured income and immediately began applying for housing. Together, Mateo and our team pursued every subsidized housing opportunity available in our community. But despite doing everything he could, housing remained out of reach. His income wasn't enough to afford market-rate rent, and the shortage of affordable housing meant he spent years on subsidized housing waitlists with no openings available. Through it all, Mateo continued living outdoors while our team walked alongside him—offering support, encouragement, and the essentials he needed to get by.

Earlier this year, the call finally came. After years of waiting, Mateo learned that an apartment had become available! With support from Good Samaritan to cover his security deposit, he moved into safe, stable housing in May. Our team helped him settle in with household essentials from the Resale Store, transforming an empty apartment into a home and a foundation for future progress. Today, Mateo is a Food Club member, giving him access to the healthy food he needs to thrive, and he's continuing to build stability by working with Good Samaritan on his financial wellness goals. After years of perseverance, Mateo finally has a place to call home.

*Name and photo changed for privacy

Food Club

In 2024, Laurie was referred to Community Action House through our partnership with the Holland Free Health Clinic. Through our Healthcare Partnerships program, we work alongside local healthcare providers to connect neighbors facing chronic health conditions and food insecurity with healthy, affordable groceries at Food Club. For Laurie, that connection became the beginning of a healthier future.

Before joining Food Club, accessing fresh fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious foods was a challenge for Laurie. Since becoming a Food Club member, Laurie says she’s eating healthier, feeling better, and has even lost weight. She enjoys attending Healthy@Home classes at Food Club, where she learns recipes that make it easy for her to cook fresh, nutritious meals at home. What stands out most to Laurie is the sense of kindness and community she experiences every time she visits. She often encourages friends to become members too, wanting others to experience the same support she’s found through Food Club.

At Community Action House, we believe everyone deserves access to healthy food and a supportive community. We’re grateful to walk alongside Laurie as she continues building a brighter, healthier future!

Community Kitchen

For more than 32 years, the Community Kitchen has been a place where neighbors find warm meals, connection, and support. Today, we’re celebrating an exciting milestone for the Community Kitchen: this month, the Community Kitchen will officially begin operating from its new home at the Salvation Army!

This space will be our new home, and part of a long term vision for even better support for our neighbors. Over the last year, community-wide planning efforts through the Project HOME initiative identified the need for a more integrated service hub where guests can access multiple forms of support in one location. The Salvation Army’s renovated space provides an exciting foundation for that vision, offering room for the Community Kitchen to continue serving healthy meals while creating new opportunities for connection, collaboration, and even more impactful services in the future.

We’re incredibly grateful to the Salvation Army, our friends at First United Methodist Church who supported our interim service, our volunteers, donors, and the many other partners who have helped make this transition possible. Most of all, we’re excited for what this new space will mean for providing even greater support, hospitality, and pathways forward for the neighbors we serve.

Food Rescue & Partnerships

Last month, we received an incredible rescue delivery from our friends at The Farmlink Project: 24 pallets totaling more than 20,000 pounds of tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumbers! The Farmlink Project does food rescue work similar to Lakeshore Food Rescue, but on a national scale. They connect surplus food from farms and other food industry partners with hunger relief organizations (like Community Action House!) across the country, ensuring good food reaches people instead of going to waste.

When they offered us this truckload of rescued produce, we immediately said yes. Our Lakeshore Food Rescue team quickly coordinated with partner agencies across the county to determine how much each organization could use and how we could distribute the food efficiently. In total, 22 community partners received food through this rescue, in addition to our Food Club and Community Kitchen. Together, we turned excess food into food access for thousands of neighbors! We’re grateful to The Farmlink Project and proud to work alongside so many community partners to ensure perfectly good food ends up on tables, not in landfills.

Resale Store

The countdown is on! After months of exciting progress, our original Resale South location on Michigan Avenue is preparing for its Grand Reopening this August—and you can help fill the shelves.

Later this month, we'll reopen to accept donations as we get ready to welcome shoppers back through our doors. Every donated item helps stock our shelves and fuels Community Action House programs that nourish, equip, and empower our neighbors.

Help us stock the shelves by donating your gently used clothing, home decor, furniture, and household items starting July 27! Ready to donate before then? Drop off donations at Resale North (650 Riley Street) or schedule a free pick up for larger items.

Join Our Team!

As we gear up to reopen our Resale South location, we’re looking to expand our dedicated team of Resale staff members! Interviews are actively happening with official start dates this month.

Do you know a student looking for a job that works with their school schedule? Or someone looking to build a career in retail or customer service? Express your interest or share the opportunity here!

Learn more

Neighbors For Neighbors Was a Success!

We had an incredible time at our 23rd annual Neighbors Fore Neighbors Golf Classic last month! This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and over a hundred neighbors joined us for a day of golf, connection, and community.

We’re so grateful to Bradford, our presenting sponsor, for making this event possible and helping us build a stronger, healthier community!

Save the Date!

Raise a Mug with Community Action House!

Celebrate National Root Beer Float Day at our soda pop bar benefit, a fun summer event presented by Community Action House and the Holland Area Arts Council.

Thursday, August 6 | 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Holland Area Arts Council | 150 E 8th St Suite 200, Holland, MI 49423

In Case You Missed It

WOOD TV: Apartments under construction in Holland focus on accessibility

Community Action House's affordable housing project in partnership with Dwelling Place and other local partners focuses on accessibility, incorporating features that support residents with a range of mobility needs while expanding local housing options.

FOX 17: 8 organizations unite to tackle homelessness with Project HOME

Project HOME is bringing organizations together to tackle homelessness in Ottawa County through coordinated, community-driven solutions. We’re proud to partner alongside local leaders to create stronger pathways to stability for our neighbors!

Learn More

FOX 17: Holland's Hope Apartments nears completion

Construction is nearly complete on the first phase of Action House's affordable housing project in partnership with Dwelling Place! This 14-unit affordable housing development will begin accepting applications in July.

Tune In!

WZZM 13: Affordable housing in Holland nears completion

As Ottawa County grapples with a significant housing shortage, Community Action House's affordable housing project in partnership with Dwelling Place and many other local partners nears completion.

Learn more