HOLLAND, Mich —
A nonprofit in Holland made hundreds of families holidays a little brighter.
Community Action House (CAH) provided Thanksgiving basked to over 1,000 families in need this year, meaning more than 3,500 people will eat a homecooked meal with their loved ones.
The turkeys were picked up by residents, along with fresh potatoes and other ingredients for a Thanksgiving dinner that families could cook and enjoy together. According to CAH, 77% of the people served the nonprofit have an income at or below the Federal Poverty Level, which is just $25,750 for a family of four.
“Over 3,500 people are benefitting from these Thanksgiving Baskets this year. It’s amazing to think, that’s 10% of the population of Holland,” shared Holland Mayor Nathan Bocks when he visited CAH on Tuesday. “For some people, I think there may be a stigma to coming, and I’m happy to see how welcoming and open this is for Holland neighbors who need it.”
CAH’s goal each year is to remove financial burden on local families who wish to fully participate in annual holiday traditions, but find challenges in finding the resources to do so.
Baskets were available for pickup at Community Action House’s 14th Street Food Pantry on Monday and Tuesday of the week of Thanksgiving. Hundreds of guests were met with an efficient sign-in and pickup process made possible by dozens of volunteers, including groups from Ameriprise, ODL, PeopleIT, foresight management, Mead Johnson, and many others. Continuing an annual tradition, all of the boxes used to hold the turkey and ingredients were donated by Shoreline Container.
Community members interested to donated to Community Action House can do so at communityactionhouse.org/challenge throughout the holiday season.
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