Nonprofit spotlights the impact of volunteers

Love Your Neighbor is a bustling place, with scores of people moving around its four buildings nestled on a residential corner that houses a donation intake center, large warehouse, two resale stores, food pantry, office, help intake center and more. 

While 15 to 20 are staffers, the rest are committed volunteers. During National Volunteer Month, the Hudsonville nonprofit is celebrating the deep investment made by key volunteers by sharing how they are using their talents to make a difference. 

These volunteers include: 

• Martha Nydam, the founder of Hudsonville Floral, who helps several days a week creating beautiful floral arrangements. 
• Polly Agers, past owner of the Lighting Corner, who oversees lamps and lighting available to purchase in the stores. 
• Dale Yntema, who spent his career selling farm equipment and now salvages every piece of metal he can, hauling it with his own vehicle to be recycled and bringing back a weekly check to further the mission. 
• Russ Harmsen, a retired math teacher, who helps keep the food pantry inventory accurate and shops for needed items. 
• Gary Jarvis, a local pastor, who gives weekly support to struggling families working to shift out of survival mode and achieve their goals.

Last year, more than 450 volunteers gave over 49,000 hours doing a variety of tasks, including sorting donations, filling grocery orders, cashiering in the stores, mentoring families, fixing bikes, providing meals or watching kids while their parents attend classes, cutting firewood, making repairs, cleaning medical equipment, and giving community members rides to medical appointments.

Volunteer Russ Harmsen tracks inventory.

“Volunteers are the backbone of our ministry,” Executive Director Jodi Cole Meyer says. “We could not accomplish what we do and partner with the number of families we do without the faithfulness and expertise of our volunteers. The community and care they give is irreplaceable. And, yes, we want even more people to opt in to volunteer.” 

Four decades of service

For 40 years, Love Your Neighbor, formerly called Love INC, has been growing partnerships with churches, schools, businesses, and volunteers. 

The nonprofit serves the community in a variety of ways. The Life Skills Program serves an average of 40 families from Ottawa and Kent counties year round. They are provided social work case management while they participate in classes to grow financially, relationally and spiritually. 

Resources that are part of this program include weekly groceries, gas, car repair, professional counseling, group therapy, transitional housing, housing stipends, low-interest loan programs and more – a program valued at $13,000 for just one family.

Because of the work of volunteers and the many local partnerships with churches and businesses, the cost of this program can often be reduced, which is especially important because of the recent 100% increase in families reaching out during their time of crisis.

To explore volunteering at Love Your Neighbor, call 616-662-3300, ext.114, or email [email protected].

Photos courtesy of Love Your Neighbor.