The Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area (CFHZ) hosted its Annual Luncheon event on Thursday, May 26 at the Holland Civic Center. The Foundation provided updates to attendees on exciting areas of growth for CFHZ over the past year and recognized local couple Robert (Bob) DeNooyer II and Colette Volkema DeNooyer with the 2022 Marvin C. Lindeman Distinguished Service Award.
The Marvin C. Lindeman Distinguished Service Award was established in 2005 and is given to past board members or key volunteers to recognize and thank them for meritorious service to the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area and the community at-large. Marvin C. Lindeman was a dedicated volunteer and fundraiser in the Holland/Zeeland community. He was instrumental in securing funding for the Herrick District Library and his efforts helped grow many nonprofit organizations including the Century Club and the Holland Museum. Marvin was one of the founders of the Holland Community Foundation and served as both a trustee and President of the Board for a number of years until his death in 1972.
Past Lindeman Award recipients include: Ann Query (2019), Char Amante (2016), Peter Neydon (2015), Grace Piersma (2012), Jeffrey Helder (2010), Harvey Buter (2009), John Nordstrom (2008), James M. Watt (2007), Ronald Dalman (2006), and James Townsend (2005).
Bob and Colette DeNooyer were recognized with the 2022 Marvin C. Lindeman Distinguished Service Award for their contributions to the community through the founding of the Holland/Zeeland Promise Scholarship program. The Holland/Zeeland Promise is an academic scholarship for local students with high financial need, proven academic success, and motivation to achieve the goal of a college or technical degree. Many of the students selected for the Promise are the first in their families to attend college.
Upon accepting the Lindeman Award, the DeNooyers said, “We are thrilled with the ongoing success of the Promise. That would not be happening without the financial support of this community who have stepped up to help deserving students achieve their dreams for over 10 years now. There are many people to thank for their support and included in that list is the Community Foundation and especially Stacy Timmerman, CFHZ Director of Scholarships. The side-by-side support services the Foundation helped coordinate are crucial in helping these talented young people succeed. We are so grateful for this recognition.”
The Promise Scholarship is administered by the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area (CFHZ) and funded by generous community partners. It addresses not only financial needs, but also academic, social, and emotional needs through a comprehensive set of side-by-side services designed to ensure that students thrive both academically and personally. There are currently 44 students in the Holland/Zeeland Promise, and the program boasts a 94% graduation rate. Many Promise recipients return to the West Michigan area to work, live, and continue giving back to their communities.
Mike Goorhouse, President/CEO, said of the DeNooyers, “It’s appropriate to recognize what Bob and Colette did with their vision of how to make our community a better place. It takes a certain kind of commitment, heart, and passion to take that vision and turn it into what the Promise program has become. They took an idea and transformed it into something that has impacted many lives already, and is set up to impact many, many more lives for years to come. For their commitment to our community, we are delighted to honor the DeNooyers with the 2022 Marvin C. Lindeman Distinguished Service Award.”
Watch our video honoring the DeNooyers here.
Learn more about the Promise program here.