Community Foundation of Holland/Zeeland grants target immigrant aid, housing
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HOLLAND — The Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland area has announced the recipients of the latest round of its competitive grant awards: six projects targeting the need for affordable housing, migrant legal aid, agencies working with women and children in the criminal justice system and a program welcoming immigrants to Ottawa County.
Heights of Hope, a nonprofit community development organization in the Stratford/Abbey court neighborhood in Holland Heights, received $30,000 toward the organization’s purchase of a six-unit building intended to provide affordable housing for families making 30 to 80 percent of the area median income.
“The grant from the Holland Zeeland Community Foundation was instrumental in helping Heights of Hope further our mission in the Stratford/Abbey Court neighborhood,” said Barry Walburg, board president for Heights of Hope. “While our primary mission is about building relationships with our neighbors, purchasing a six-plex right next to our Community Center allows us to tangibly support affordable housing, care for our neighbors and provide housing for future staff.”
The Women’s Resource Center, a Grand Rapids-based nonprofit, received $25,000 for its “New Beginnings” program in the Ottawa County Jail.
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The program, active in the Kent County Jail since 2013, expanded to serve the Ottawa County Jail earlier this year. Through “New Beginnings,” women serving sentences in the jail receive mentorship and career coaching in the jail to prepare for finding employment and staying employed when they are released.
The program aims to reduce the rates of women re-offending by creating pathways to employment, housing, food, transportation and healthcare for previously incarcerated women.
Mediation Services was awarded $20,000 for its “R2H: Repair Harm and Restore Hope” program, which provides restorative justice services for first-time juvenile offenders in Ottawa County.
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Restorative justice keeps juvenile offenders out of the traditional criminal court process, offering an alternative path for first-time offenders to meet with their victims in a restorative conferencing session. In the session, led by a trained mediator, victims and offenders work together to come to an agreement on the best way to repair the harm caused, with a focus on healing rather than punishment.
Two programs funded in this round of grants focus on the well-being of immigrant communities in Ottawa County: Migrant Legal Aid’s “Defending Against Hate” program and Ottawa County’s “Welcoming Plan.”
Migrant Legal Aid is receiving $20,000 to expand its anti-discrimination program to Ottawa County. The organization says it is fielding a 48 percent increase in calls from Ottawa County migrant workers seeking legal counsel regarding hate, discrimination, harassment, bullying or violence. The program works with law enforcement and courts to make the process of reporting crimes more accessible to immigrant and seasonal workers in Ottawa County.
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Ottawa County’s Department of Strategic Impact received $15,000 to develop and implement a “Welcoming Plan” for immigrants who move to Ottawa County.
About 7.6 percent of Ottawa County’s population, or 15,000 people, are non-U.S. citizen immigrants. The “Welcoming Plan” seeks to fill the need for a “comprehensive effort” to help immigrants transition into Ottawa County workplaces and American society.
I AM Academy received $15,000 to launch the “I Am Genius” program focusing exposing minority students to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields.
“In a community that has historically disenfranchised the Black and Brown communities, it is extremely important that we be intentional about engaging with our Black and Brown youth, introduce them to a variety of community sectors, and build relationships,” said Lindsay Cherry, co-founder of I AM Academy. “Children grow emotionally, intellectually and physically through both their relationships and through their community. It gives them a sense of belonging and is crucial to the building of their identity. I AM Academy works to empower not only our students but also our community by uplifting one another.”
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