Community Action House is marking the first year of service at its innovative Food
Club & Opportunity Hub with a free community celebration.
The celebration will take place Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Food Club location, 739 Paw
Paw Drive, Holland, from 3-6 p.m. It will offer face painting, crafts, animals from the Critter Barn, and many other family-friendly activities. Live music and light refreshments will be available, along with tours of the facility.
Onsite parking will be limited, with additional space available at Holland Heights Christian Reformed Church, 836 E. 8th St. To RSVP and learn more about the event, visit the Community Action House
Facebook page.
The Food Club’s membership-based model of food assistance promotes healthy food in a welcoming, high-dignity environment that enhances choice and opportunities for the low-income guests who rely on their services.
Need has increased
Since opening in October 2021, the Food Club has served over 2,300 families. With rapid inflation affecting family budgets, it recently has seen well over 130 families calling on them for support every day, six days a week. Six or seven of these families are seeking support for the first time, pushing service numbers higher and higher.
“In the past year, we’ve been able to rapidly expand our service – critical for so many, as inflation has pushed even more families past their financial breaking point,” says CEO Scott Rumpsa. “We’ve witnessed life-altering financial changes, health improvements, and moments of joy – stories that are only possible because our community says ‘yes’ to building a stronger network of support for the neighbors who need it most.”
Alongside healthy food access, Food Club aims to provide service in a high-dignity, high-choice environment, with a focus on allowing guests to choose the food and shopping times that work best for their families.
In addition to fresh produce, meat, and dairy, the Food Club & Opportunity Hub provides the tools and resources members need to achieve both food access and financial stability. After shopping, guests can then stop in at the Opportunity Hub, where resource specialists are available to connect them to financial education services, foreclosure prevention, and other community resources.
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