Our Biggest Fundraiser of the Year Starts Here!

Did you know? Our Neighbors Fore Neighbors Golf Classic is our single largest fundraising event each year—bringing together neighbors like you to fuel the work of Community Action House!

Grab three friends, coworkers, or family members and join us on Thursday, June 11 at The Ravines Golf Club in Saugatuck. Choose your tee time—AM (8 AM – 1 PM) or PM (1:30 PM – 6:30 PM)—and enjoy a great day of golf, connection, food, and fun.

Whether you’re a seasoned golfer or just in it to power our mission, this is a simple way to show up for community, together. Gather your foursome and register your team today!

Register Today!

Need more information as you consider joining? Reach out to Ricardo at rvaldez@communityactionhouse.org with any questions!

Program Updates

Food Club

Years ago, Karin traveled across the United States and abroad, sharing her expertise in the pharmaceutical industry. But since 2020, finding work in her field has been a challenge. Despite her high level of experience, the current job market has made it difficult to secure employment. As she searched for her next opportunity, Karin struggled to make ends meet.

Last year, Karin became a Food Club member, gaining access to fresh, affordable, healthy food. She was glad to come to a place where she felt welcomed and supported during a difficult season. Living alone, Karin was also looking for connection. She began attending Healthy@Home classes, sharing, “I love cooking, but I don’t often cook for myself since it’s just me.” Each week these classes became something Karin looked forward to, and a reason to cook for herself again.

Today, Karin is cooking more often, using recipes she’s learned and ingredients she chooses at Food Club. She also connected with our Financial Wellness team to build a budget, learn strategies to catch up on her mortgage, and file taxes with our VITA program. Karin is also working with our partners at Michigan Works! to find secure employment.

Karin is grateful to have found community and care at Food Club. She believes that “Food brings people together,” and she lives out that value by bringing fresh vegetables from her garden to share with fellow Healthy@Home participants. We're grateful for neighbors like Karin who choose to be part of our Food Club community, and we’re glad to provide the support and partnership she needs to build a brighter future!

Outreach & Housing Access

Several years ago, Jenna* met our team when she was living outdoors. Working together, Jenna and our team navigated the complex web of resources that helped her qualify for a Housing Choice Voucher, and ultimately find stable housing in 2023!

But last year, Jenna faced another challenge. Her apartment needed critical updates to remain livable, and she was unable to quickly find another safe option. With no other immediate housing, she began sleeping in her car. In that moment between challenge and crisis, Jenna knew exactly where to turn. She reconnected with our team, and once again, we walked alongside her. Together, we were able to ensure she retained her original voucher and began the search for a new, safe home.

A local landlord reached out to our team about an upcoming rental opening, and they were willing to accept vouchers. It was an opportunity that doesn’t come along often, and Jenna applied right away. Soon after, Jenna got the keys to her new home! Jenna expressed how grateful she was for our team’s support, and shared that it was comforting to work with the same Outreach Specialist this time around as she did three years ago. She felt known and safe with our team, and she trusted that we would support her and encourage her. Because of that, Jenna’s moving forward with hope.

*Name and photo changed for privacy

Community Kitchen

Last month we had the joy of celebrating Shirley’s 95th birthday! Shirley joined our team of Community Kitchen volunteers in 2000, and is one of our longest-standing volunteers. She first learned about Community Action House through her church when they adopted a shift at the Community Kitchen. When our chef was looking for someone to help on a weekly basis, Shirley stepped in and she’s been faithfully serving ever since.

Shirley shared that the reason she keeps coming back year after year is because she wants to “do something worthwhile” with her time and help others while she can. She especially enjoys getting to know our guests and greeting them by name, creating a space where our neighbors feel known and welcomed.

Every day, dedicated volunteers like Shirley show up with warmth, generosity, and a commitment to making all our neighbors feel welcome at the Community Kitchen. We’re so grateful to celebrate Shirley on her special day and the care she brings to every shift!

Financial Wellness

We recently wrapped up our 2026 VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) season! Each year, a team of highly trained and dedicated volunteers works alongside our Financial Wellness team to offer free tax preparation assistance for qualifying neighbors.

When Charlotte* sat down with our VITA team, we discovered that she owed over $20,000. She had filed her taxes incorrectly several years ago, and connecting with our team helped her get the support she needed to identify the issue, gather documents, and complete the paperwork needed to correct her previous taxes and file this year’s taxes accurately. With these steps taken, Charlotte no longer owes $20,000, and expects several thousand dollars back from her 2025 return—giving her the financial cushion she needs to catch her breath and begin taking steps toward a stronger financial future!

This year VITA volunteers prepared taxes for 605 families just like Charlotte’s, which brought more than $1.2 million back into our community (our biggest year ever!). We are so grateful for VITA volunteers, their expertise, and their deep compassion for our neighbors—thank you for helping us create a stronger community, one tax return at a time!

*Name and photo changed for privacy

Food Rescue & Partnerships

For years our friends at Haworth have helped nourish our neighbors in a fun, hands-on way. Last year, through their staff-run vegetable garden, they donated more than a hundred pounds of fresh produce to our Food Club, bringing healthy, vibrant options to the shelves for the 1,500+ families we serve each week. We love seeing our partners find creative ways to work together to build a stronger, healthier community!

Want to dig in, enjoy the sunshine, and help nourish our neighbors? Consider growing a garden of your own this summer and planting a little extra to share! The vegetables your family loves are the same ones our neighbors are excited to explore new recipes with, strengthen their cooking skills, and learn how to make nutritious meals together at home. Together, these small acts of sharing are growing into health, hope, and stability for all our neighbors!

Resale Store

Hundreds of neighbors joined us for the Grand Opening of our new Resale North location last month! Together, we celebrated the hope, health, and stability made possible when we show up together through Resale.

Expanding our Resale network with this second store will more than double the funding Resale provides for Action House programs! This expansion, in partnership with continued generosity from our community, allows us to equip neighbors with the essentials they need today, while building financial resilience that ensures we can keep showing up for decades to come.

Weren’t able to join for the Grand Opening? You can still help us start off our new location strong:

Donate – Your gently used items get a second life—providing essentials for neighbors and generating the funding that keeps our programs strong.
Shop – Every purchase stretches your dollar and fuels ours. If you shopped with us during our Grand Opening weekend, be sure to use the coupon you received before May 9!
Volunteer – Share your time and skills to help us keep our store running strong.

Our original Southside Resale Store location is now undergoing extensive renovations, and we're looking forward to a grand re-opening later this summer for Resale South. Stay tuned!

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 will begin soon with official start dates in July. Interested or know someone who would be a great fit? Express your interest here!

Learn more

Celebrating Compassion in Action!

We had an incredible time at VolBASH last month! Each year, we gather to celebrate our volunteers and all the ways they nourish, equip, and empower our neighbors. More than 3,000 individuals give their time and talents to support our programs, contributing over $2.1 million in impact annually. Because of them, thousands of neighbors receive the support they need to thrive.

We’re so grateful to Comcast, our presenting sponsor, and the MillerKnoll Foundation, our Neighborhood Advocate sponsor, for making this celebration possible! Check out all the fun we had, and explore our photo gallery from the night here.

Looking to turn your Compassion into Action? Join our team of dedicated volunteers!

Explore Volunteer Opportunities!

Save the Date

Celebrating with the West Michigan Asian American Association!

At Community Action House, we know that a thriving community is one where all our neighbors are supported, celebrated, and equally valued. This month, we’re celebrating our friends at the West Michigan Asian American Association and their work to make this possible in our community!

Shop with us at the Resale Store throughout the month of May, and 10% of store profits will support the West Michigan Asian American Association's efforts that help Asian Americans access resources, improve their skills, and establish their own business and overall wellbeing. Learn more about their efforts at westmichiganaaa.org.

At Action House, we're proud to serve and celebrate all of our neighbors. We strive to build a culture, within our organization and our broader community, where all of our neighbors experience a profound sense of belonging. Partners like these help make it possible!

Join us for Holland's Hunger Awareness Weekend!

Saturday, May 16 - Sunday, May 17

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 16, is led by the National Association of Letter Carriers. Place nonperishable items in your mailbox before 9am on May 16, and postal workers, along with volunteers, will collect the items to distribute to local food access organizations! Sign up as a volunteer to help sort donations here!
The Annual CROP Hunger Walk, Sunday, May 17, 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 increase food access!