A safe environment, and caring adults who are consistently present in their lives, are key factors in a child’s well-being. Unfortunately, many children in our community don’t have stable homes for various reasons – single parents who struggle with the financial and logistical challenges of solo parenting, an incarcerated parent, or parents who had difficult childhoods themselves and find it challenging to provide the nurturing their children need.
Our proactive grant program makes targeted investments to issue areas that were identified by nonprofit partners and community leaders as key priorities for a thriving community. Investing in efforts to increase the consistency of a healthy and caring adult presence in local children’s lives, we distributed $142,000 in grants between four nonprofits.
Yadah V. Ramirez, Director of Community Impact, said, “These grants focus on helping families who need support and investing in programs that prevent problems before they start, keeping households stable and safe. When children have caring adults in their lives, it creates a strong foundation that helps them grow and thrive, ensuring a brighter future where everyone in our community can reach their full potential.”
Love Your Neighbor
Amount awarded: $60,000 over two years
Purpose: The Holland/Zeeland Spanish Speaking Life Skills Program
Expanding upon a successful model that has served families in nearby communities for decades, Love Your Neighbor will offer a Spanish-speaking life skills program in Holland/Zeeland. The program will serve up to 75 families annually by combining weekly parenting and financial classes with volunteer mentorship, childcare, and practical assistance like groceries, gas cards, and housing help. According to the 2024 Heart of West Michigan United Way Community Assessment for Ottawa County, 43% of Hispanic households in Ottawa County struggle financially. Many also face barriers accessing culturally relevant support services. This community-based approach aims to provide both immediate stability and long-term support to help families build lasting resilience.
Jodi Cole Meyer, Executive Director, said, “This grant from CFHZ is a catalyst for Love Your Neighbor to expand its reach and offer critical services to our Spanish-speaking neighbors, in their own neighborhood. This locality is something we believe is critical to the personal success and real transformation for each participant in our Life Skills Program, and we are grateful for this strong foundation as we work to carry out our mission and strengthen families in Holland/Zeeland.”
CommunityWorks
Amount awarded: $30,000
Purpose: Circles of Support – Strengthening Youth & Families in Holland’s South Side
CommunityWorks, in partnership with Good Samaritan Ministries, will bring its family support program, “Circles of Support,” to Holland’s south side. The Circles model is a nationally recognized, multi-generational approach to reducing poverty through long-term, relationship-centered support. Families meet weekly for two years, sharing a meal followed by age-appropriate programming for adults and children that focuses on subjects like financial skills, communication, and career readiness.
Midtown Counseling
Amount awarded: $30,000
Purpose: Family/Parental Engagement in On Site School Counseling for the Holland Public Schools
Midtown Counseling is expanding their highly successful, school-based counseling program Holland Public Schools to focus on caregiver involvement. They will bring caregivers into the counseling process, provide parenting classes, and equip families with strategies to support their children’s well-being and success. In addition, the program expansion also increases Spanish-language services, Medicaid sign-up assistance, and addresses transportation barriers to make this support more accessible to families facing financial hardship and trauma.
Arbor Circle
Amount awarded: $22,000
Purpose: Increasing Father Friendly Services in Ottawa County
This program is a continuation of work that began in 2024, as Arbor Circle on behalf of the Fatherhood Coalition, began research to address the needs of male caregivers. While there are many services available for mothers, there’s a significant gap in programs specifically designed to help fathers and father figures. The first year of research revealed that engaging fathers is more challenging than expected. Based on these lessons, the coalition is changing their approach in year two to focus on one-on-one interviews with key community members and smaller focus groups, with the goal of creating better resources and training for schools, nonprofits, and faith organizations to become more welcoming spaces for fathers.
More information about CFHZ’s grantmaking is available here.