Dear friends,
November is Homelessness Awareness Month.
Stability depends on many things working together: a safe home, access to fresh food, reliable income, and people to turn to when things get hard. When one of those pieces suddenly changes, the others can quickly be put at risk. Life can change in an instant.
Sudden setbacks like an unexpected diagnosis, a reduced paycheck, or a car that won’t start can quickly push families past the breaking point. Right now, more families are finding there’s less room in their budgets to absorb the unexpected. One hard month can quickly turn into a crisis, but our community can change what happens next.
At Community Action House, that means showing up at every point along the journey. Food Club helps families stretch their budgets. Financial Wellness and Resource Navigation help neighbors navigate challenges, strengthen their finances, and find a path forward. And when someone has already lost housing, our Outreach & Housing Access team walks alongside them toward a safe, stable home.
This year, our team walked alongside neighbors like Anna*, who continued working and caring for her children while living out of their car before a housing voucher and community support helped her family secure a home.
So far this year, 81 neighbors have moved from homelessness into safe, stable housing by partnering with our Outreach team. And, our Financial Wellness team has provided Foreclosure Intervention assistance that has helped keep at least 44 family homes out of foreclosure this year alone. While we celebrate these successes, more neighbors are facing moments of uncertainty today when the right support can make all the difference.
We can't prevent every challenge, but we can build a community where no one has to face it alone. Strong communities are built by neighbors who care. This Homelessness Awareness Month, you can help build the kind of community you believe in:
Volunteer: Serve a meal at the Community Kitchen, lend a hand at Refresh, or fill a pressing need at Food Club as we help families build and maintain stability.
Turn Goods into Good: Drop off gently used items at Resale. Donations fuel our programs and connect recently housed neighbors to the essentials they need.
Join the Community Table: Steady support keeps us flexible and responsive.
Share: Follow along and share the stories we’re highlighting this month.
Everyone deserves a safe home, good food, and the opportunity to build a strong foundation for their family. Thank you for working alongside us to build a community where this vision becomes a reality.
With gratitude,
Scott Rumpsa | Chief Executive Officer
Program Updates
Outreach and Housing Access
After living and working in Holland for most of his life, Walter found himself without a place to call home in 2020. Eager to find a path toward stable housing, Walter connected with our team at the Community Kitchen and Refresh, where we worked alongside him to begin applying for housing.
As Walter took steps toward finding a home, a network of community partners came together to support him. Community Mental Health, Good Samaritan, Gateway Mission, and Pillar Church collaborated with our team to help Walter move forward. Through this support and his determination, Walter qualified for a Rapid Rehousing voucher and secured a safe, stable place to call home!
After moving in, Walter became a Food Club member, where he found affordable access to fresh, healthy groceries. Having previously visited our food pantry, Walter was amazed by the spacious, grocery-store-style Food Club and shelves stocked with nutritious food.
With the stability he's built, Walter now spends much of his time volunteering at Pillar Church. He also joins our Healthy@Home classes, where he can learn new recipes, sharpen his cooking skills, and connect with others. With a stable home, access to healthy food, and a strong community of support, Walter continues to build a brighter future in the community he's always called home.
Food Club
Five years ago, Kristen’s life changed in an instant when she suffered a heart attack. In the hospital, doctors placed seven stents in her heart and discovered a genetic condition that caused her arteries to clog.
With high blood pressure and cholesterol, Kristen knew that eating healthier would be essential to protecting her heart, but she couldn't afford the healthy food she needed. The hospital bills had drained Kristen's savings, and even after returning to full-time work, fresh food was out of reach at the grocery store.
Four years ago, Kristen discovered Food Club. With affordable access to fresh, nutritious groceries, she could finally make the healthy choices her doctors recommended without the added financial strain. Since becoming a Food Club member, Kristen has seen her blood pressure and cholesterol levels decrease.
Today, Kristen is focused on caring for her health and passing along what she's learned about nutritious eating to her children and grandchildren.
Financial Wellness
Earlier this year, Jeanette* celebrated an exciting milestone: purchasing a home! After learning about Community Action House's Homebuyer Education workshop through a coworker, Jeanette decided to attend. Although she'd owned a home before, she was eager to explore resources that could help her reach her goal of becoming a homeowner again.
Through the workshop, Jeanette gained valuable knowledge, connected with local professionals, and discovered resources that helped her navigate the homebuying process. Her home search took more than a year, but Jeanette used that time to strengthen her financial foundation.
With new skills and a network of support, Jeanette achieved her goal of homeownership! Reflecting on her experience, she shared, "Thanks to Community Action House and their Homebuyer Education program, I was able to achieve my goal of buying a home."
*Name changed for privacy
Community Kitchen
When our Outreach team first met Max*, he was living outdoors, facing significant barriers to housing. He began visiting our Community Kitchen and Refresh, where he found nourishing meals, hygiene services, and support navigating next steps. Our team connected Max with resources to support his sobriety, and partnered with our friends at Gateway Mission to help him access emergency shelter.
Max had qualified for a Housing Choice Voucher. Despite applying to dozens of apartments, our area’s shortage of affordable housing left him without options, and his voucher expired. In 2025, Max secured stable income and began working with our team to pursue subsidized housing, but long waitlists meant more waiting. Max entered programming and shelter at Gateway Mission while holding onto hope that a subsidized unit would open up so he could find a long term home.
After years of perseverance, a unit became available, and Max finally has a place to call home! Our team helped him settle in with furniture and household essentials from our Resale Store, along with a Food Club voucher to help him access healthy groceries. Now, Max is building on his years of sobriety and has expressed interest in pursuing a new goal: becoming a sobriety coach to support others on their recovery journeys.
Max’s determination over the years opened the door to a brighter future, and with a community walking beside him in compassion and collaboration, he's moving forward with hope. We're grateful for the role our Community Kitchen plays in creating connections that open doors to the relationships, resources, and support that help neighbors like Max thrive.
*Name and photo changed for privacy
Resale Stores
In 2008, Sydney’s parents had just graduated college and were doing everything they could to try to build a life for their young family. Jobs were scarce, and like so many families at that time, they found themselves struggling to cover the basics as prices climbed.
Making the decision to ask for support is never easy. Sydney’s family hesitated, but they walked through the doors of our original 14th Street food pantry anyway. Met with kindness and care, they were sent home with pantry staples, diapers, and wipes. This one moment of connection made sure the family’s immediate needs were met and gave the family confidence to connect with other organizations closer to home and continue taking steps toward stability.
Growing up, Sydney knew there were seasons that were difficult, but she never realized Community Action House had been part of her family’s story.
It wasn’t until she joined our Resale team earlier this year that her parents shared this with her, and she discovered the impact those early moments of support made.
Today, many families are facing the same difficult choices Sydney's family faced in 2008. As the cost of groceries, housing, and everyday essentials continues to rise, parents are stretching every dollar and wondering how they'll make ends meet. Community Action House is here to meet neighbors in those pivotal moments between a challenge and a crisis—offering connection to food, essential resources, and compassionate partnership and a path forward.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Donate to Resale, and your pre-loved items are transformed into healthy food, housing connections, and stability.
Donate before December 31 and receive 25% off your next purchase at Resale!
Program Highlight
Celebrating 5 Years of Food Club Through Community Fest!
Last month we celebrated the fifth anniversary of our Food Club & Opportunity Hub! To celebrate, we hosted our week-long CommunityFest event for Food Club members, presented by Lake Trust Credit Union. This milestone is only possible through our community’s ongoing support—thank you for believing in this work!
Set Another Place at the Table
As grocery prices rise, the cost of providing meals is growing, too. This fall, our cost to purchase turkeys has increased by 50%. Just as families are feeling the strain of higher grocery bills, it's becoming more expensive to make this Thanksgiving tradition possible.
Will you help us set another place at the table? Your gift can provide healthy Thanksgiving groceries, and the knowledge that their community cares, for more than 1,800 families who will turn to us.
Our cost to purchase turkeys increased by 50%. Your donation can help provide Thanksgiving groceries for a family in our community.
In Case You Missed It
Action House News and Updates
WHTC’s Talk of the Town with Gary Stevens
In October, Chara Bouma-Prediger joined WHTC to share about Food Club’s fifth anniversary.
The Shelley Irwin Show: Five Years of Food Club
Last month, Scott Rumpsa joined the Shelley Irwin show to celebrate Food Club's anniversary and reflect on our years of service.
Rotary Club Supports Food Club Members
The Rotary Club helped us purchase a second mobility cart for Food Club, ensuring more neighbors have access to the healthy food they need to thrive.
Ottawa News Network: Food Club Transforms Community Support in Holland
Since opening in 2021, the Food Club & Opportunity Hub has served more than 7,900 local families, providing the equivalent of over 7.5 million meals.
Join The Movement
Donate Monthly
Provide a stable foundation for our service each month.
Set the Table
Help provide Thanksgiving groceries!
Donate to Resale
Donate gently used items to the Resale Store.
