Highlights from Women’s Service Day 2022!

We’re still buzzing from the success of this year’s Women’s Service Day and wanted to share some of the stories about our incredible volunteers! Below is just a sample – if you have any special moments from your experience as a volunteer, we’d love to hear! Send an email to womensserviceday@gmail.com.

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Harvest Stand Ministries

“I just wanted to share a story with you from this last week. We absolutely loved having the volunteer group here and they were wonderful to work with. They served doing things that are not the most fun things to do and they did it with a smile. The ladies asked a lot of questions and we loved the opportunity to meet them and share with them about our mission. One of the things that they asked was what items we have the greatest need for, they noticed working in the pantry that we have a lot of some items but hardly any of others. I shared with them that we are often low on things like pasta sauce, cooking oil, snacks, breakfast items, condiments, etc. When I came in on Saturday to get ready for an event, we had entire cases of these items on our shelves. Now I don’t know if these ladies dropped the donations off, but it was such a blessing to us either way. I wanted you to know that THEY were such a blessing to us. Thank you”

– Jessica Starks | Office and Communications Coordinator

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Kids Food Basket

Our incredible volunteers packed packed 741 meals for that evening PLUS 626 meals for the following night in one session! Way to go!

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Nestlings

The morning crew at Nestlings set an agency record for the most diapers wrapped in a session: 14, 412 diapers total! Our agency contact stated that they usually can wrap about 20,000 in a week, but our volunteers nearly hit that number in just a few hours!! Way to go!

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The Period Project

The Period Project was very happy with the collection of personal care products–nearly everything was suitable for their purposes! Thanks to all of your donations, we donated 4 large boxes of supplies for girls in need.

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Eighth Day Farm

The Eighth Day Farm team was so appreciative of all volunteers and for the donation from the charity fundraiser, which was matched by MillerKnoll Cares and equaled $4875.86 in total! 

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Community Action House Kitchen

The leftovers from lunch were sent to Community Kitchen. Their chef was so grateful! We donated two large pots of chili, sugar, flour,  garlic, dessert, etc. Enough to feed quite a few.

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Thank you again to all who donated, participated, and showed up to support Women’s Service Day 2022! You are the reason we are able to help so many in our community!

Here are a few more shots from that day:

Thank You for an Amazing 21st Women’s Service Day!

Yesterday wrapped the 21st Women’s Service Day and we wanted to extend a HUGE thank you to our volunteers, participating agencies, and all who attended any portion of this incredible day of service!

130 volunteers across 13 agencies

(To see our historical numbers of hours volunteered, funds raised, and gifts in kind donated, visit our History page that highlights two decades of philanthropy from our community.)

This year was a beautiful, sunny fall day that featured 130 volunteers registered to serve 13 agencies in the morning and afternoon. Many participants and agency representatives joined us for our networking and charity lunch to benefit Eighth Day Farm.

We are thrilled that our volunteers raised $2875.86. Along with a match and bonus from the MillerKnoll Foundation, the grand fundraising total was $4875.86! Plus, volunteers donated a several boxes of feminine products for The Period Project.

Stay tuned for the full story with event photos to see all we accomplished in just one day!

For now, we just want to say thank you for opening your hearts, pulling on your work clothes, and supporting your community!

– The Women’s Service Day Organizing Committee

Nancy Corvers, Harris Hof, Marcia Davis, Cindy DeGraaf, Sue Gadbois, Alison Lechner, Lois Maassen, Carolyn Maalouf, Angie Martin, Jill Ryan

What to Expect on Women’s Service Day 2022 (10.6)!

We are so excited for your enthusiastic participation on Women’s Service Day this year!

Here’s what to expect:

Volunteer Crews

• Please review your SignUpGenius communications to be sure you know what clothing or equipment might be helpful to your specific assignment.
• For a morning or all-day crew, plan to arrive at your worksite in Holland at 8:30 a.m (or 9 a.m. if volunteering with Kids Food Basket). 
• For an afternoon crew, plan to arrive at our lunch location by noon for a celebration lunch. If you are unable to attend the luncheon, please arrive at your worksite by 1:30 p.m.

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Lunch Details

Our lunch celebration will be from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hope Church, centrally located at 77 West Eleventh Street in Holland (between River and Pine Avenues, just south of downtown Holland and west of Centennial Park). 

Note that Pine Avenue is closed for construction from 10th Street south. Enter 10th Street from the east to park on the street or in the church parking lot, or park in the west lot (furthest from the building) of the United Methodist church, just north of Hope Church between 9th and 10th Streets. Overflow parking is available in the back lot of the Methodist Church across the street from Hope church. Please do not park in the front lot of the Methodist Church.

A $10 donation will cover your lunch, with any surplus to be donated to Eighth Day Farm.  

We’ll hold a raffle to support Eighth Day Farm. Proceeds from our raffle (tickets are $5 or 3 for $12; or $10 each or 3 for $25) will support Eighth Day Farm in providing donated fresh, locally grown produce to Community Action House and their Food Club. Bring your wallet! (We’ll accept cash, check, credit card, and Venmo.)

More details on lunch and the charity fundraiser can be found here.

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Donation Drive

We’ll also collect items to donate to Period Project 49423. Here are the items they need most:

1. Summer’s Eve Cleansing Cloths (individually wrapped wipes)

2. Always Radiant Teen Pads

3. Tampax Radiant Tampons regular absorbency, unscented

See the full wish list of items here. Please bring your donations to lunch! We’ll have boxes ready to collect them. 

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Last-minute change in plans (sickness, business crisis, etc.)? Please update your registration in SignUpGenius or email us as soon as possible. To contact event organizers the day of the event, call or text Angie at (616) 283-3341.

Follow the day through photos on Facebook and Instagram (@womensserviceday) and updates on Twitter (@womenserviceday). Share your experiences with the hashtag #WSDHolland!

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Looking forward to seeing you Thursday!

The Women’s Service Day Organizing Committee

Nancy Corvers, Harris Hof, Marcia Davis, Cindy DeGraaf, Sue Gadbois, Alison Lechner, Lois Maassen, Carolyn Maalouf, Angie Martin, Jill Ryan

A WSD Satellite in SE Michigan!

Building networks among women has been a goal of Women’s Service Day (WSD) since the very first event in West Michigan 20 years ago. That network is now paying off in an unexpected way! 

In late summer, the WSD planning team was contacted by several women who work for Yanfeng in West Michigan and in Novi; they’re a part of the Women’s Resource Network at that company. Several of them had participated in the West Michigan WSD event; others had heard about it from coworkers. 

They didn’t want to miss out, and they saw an opportunity for women to come together on the east side of the state to do the same kind of good our volunteers have accomplished here! They’ve worked with local-to-them agencies to identify volunteer opportunities, and are ready to launch this first satellite WSD event this Thursday, October 14. Agencies supported are:

• Earthworks, where volunteers will do seasonal garden maintenance
• Crossroads in Michigan, where they’ll package condiments for the soup kitchen
• First Step Domestic & Sexual Violence, where they’ll beautify the area outside of the shelter
• Food Gatherers, where they’ll sort donations and pack food boxes
• Michigan Council of Women in Technology, where they’ll pack bags for high school students

Like the “mother” event, the SE Michigan event is using SignUpGenius so volunteers can select the opportunity that’s most appealing, and one or two half-day crews. This event has been publicized within Yanfeng by the Women’s Resource Network; they welcome friends, family, and colleagues from other organizations. 

Available opportunities are limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that the Women’s Service Day Planning Team has put these protocols in place for in-person participation:

• Mask wearing is required indoors regardless of vaccination status
• Mask wearing is required outdoors when social distancing is not possible
• Follow CDC and State of Michigan DHHS guidelines for recommended protocols 

How can you help launch this SE Michigan event? Spread the word! The initiative to create this event demonstrates that our networks extend across Michigan and beyond.

Announcing the 2018 WSD Donation Drive: Bras! Underwear! Pajamas!

As part of Women’s Service Day for the past few years, we have collected diapers for Nestlings Diaper Bank. While Nestlings represents an ongoing need (and we encourage ongoing support), this year we are changing things up and collecting items for Holland Rescue Mission, a non-profit shelter that seeks to meet the needs of men, women, and children in West Michigan.

In keeping with our mission to serve women and children in Holland, we’ll be collecting new:

• Bras (any size and style, including sports bras)
• Women’s underwear (teenagers and women)
• Children’s pajamas

We wanted to tell you ahead of Women’s Service Day on October 4 so that you can take advantage of any sales you see at area stores or online. And if you’d like to gather donations from friends or coworkers, you can start now!

Just bring what you collect to the WSD luncheon at Hope Church on October 4; if you can’t make it to the luncheon, you can still deliver donations there that day.

The Holland Rescue Mission serves about 350 women every year, and each woman who comes to Holland Rescue Mission is provided a bra and underwear in her size. It serves about 200 children, and each child gets a pair of pajamas. As you can see, they have a big need—but our volunteers have big hearts. Thanks for considering making this kind of donation!

17 Reasons to Save the Date: October 4

Landscaping as part of the 2016 event.

This year will be the seventeenth year of Women’s Service Day, which will be held Thursday, October 4, 2018. In honor of those years, we’ve put together a list of 17 reasons why you should save the date:

1. To help women and children in our community
2. To see old friends
3. To make new friends
4. For the blueberry crisp served at lunch
5. To learn a new skill
6. To get a good night of sleep after a day of manual labor
7. Because you have to use those volunteer hours somewhere
8. For the chance to win cool stuff in the raffle
9. To soak up the energy of 200 other women volunteers (and maybe a few good men volunteers, too)
10. To set a good example
11. It could boost your happiness, according to research
12. For the opportunity to learn about what agencies are doing in our area
13. To use gifts and talents that you don’t get to use while sitting at a computer
14. It’s a great chance to network
15. It’s a good excuse to get out of work for a day, or half a day
16. It’s another chance to wear your cool WSD 15-year anniversary T-shirt or hoodie
17. To be the change you want to see in the world

For now, all you need to do is mark October 4 on your calendars, and maybe tell a few friends. We’ll send more details as the date approaches.

Save October 5 for WSD!

Our fifteenth anniversary was a huge success, with more volunteers (180) working hard to be the change we all want to see in the world. And we raised more than $3,000 for continuing renovations at Pathways. Go, us! But we’ve never been one to rest on our laurels–and we figure you aren’t, either! So please save Thursday, October 5, for Women’s Service Day. That’s all you need to do for now. Watch this space for details. And watch this video to get inspired!

Vision + Tenacity = A Dream Come True

Women’s Service Day gives a check to Westcore Neighbors (Pictured: Nuestra Casa Core Team representatives, from left to right: Marcia Davis, Lois Maassen, Ben Sikkink, Jeannette Brownson, Raul Garcia, and Judy VanDyke)

In February 2015, Women’s Service Day hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony at Nuestra Casa neighborhood center to celebrate key donors and volunteers who helped make a dream reality: a new venue for neighborhood activities where residents can foster a healthy, safe community.

During the following months, loose ends were wrapped up–things like accounting and renovation tweaks and the creation of a new sign. We are forever grateful to Ben Sikkink for his tireless perseverance in leading the construction effort. Special thanks also goes to Chris Wiers for his creative sign-making skills (twice!).

On July 15, the remaining funds (nearly $3,800) raised by Women’s Service Day–with the help of many volunteers–were transferred to Westcore Neighbors to boost their programming efforts as they begin to initiate activities like book groups, cooking classes, mentoring, music lessons, crafts for kids, and community gardening. Members of all four entities that collaborated on the project (Women’s Service Day, Good Samaritan Ministries, New Community/Fourth Reformed Church, and Westcore Neighbors) were present for the official transition.

Pictured are representatives from Westcore Neighbors, Women’s Service Day, Good Samaritan Ministries, and New Community/First Reformed Church

It may have taken four years, but this is what happens when people pool their skills and talents and determination. Vision + tenacity = a dream come true.

From Renovation to Completion: Nuestra Casa Celebration

 

Nuestra Casa was the venue for an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, February 28, to celebrate key donors and volunteers. Attendees were invited to tour the facility, which underwent renovation beginning in 2011. After the ribbon cutting ceremony, Westcore Neighbors gathered for a potluck to showcase the new venue for neighborhood activities. Book groups, cooking classes, canning classes, mentoring activities, music lessons, crafts for kids, reading activities, and community gardening are interests initially expressed by neighbors when the project kicked off. The center is located at 253 W. 15th Street in Holland.

Nuestra Casa renovation has been a collaborative project among Women’s Service Day, Good Samaritan Ministries, New Community/Fourth Reformed Church, and Westcore Neighbors. Women’s Service Day managed the fundraising and construction, which culminated in an open house to thank donors and key volunteers for their contributions. It was once a dream among neighbors that has been realized with the help of many hands.

“When we began the project,” said Nuestra Casa core team leader Lois Maassen, “there were nearly 250 vacant houses in the City of Holland alone. Nuestra Casa became an opportunity to turn one of them into a neighborhood center to create ‘pride of place’ and a gathering place for residents living among so many abandoned homes.” The project modeled asset-based community development by engaging community members in fundraising and construction. Ideally, Nuestra Casa can help residents foster a healthy, safe community.

More than 50 people came to see the new center on a bright winter’s day. For the ribbon cutting ceremony they assembled outside on the new ramp constructed for wheelchair access, commemorating the transition from renovation to operation.

“We’ve learned a lot along the way,” said Maassen. “We’ve learned about community and what can happen when people pool their skills and their talents and their determination. We’ve learned about the relationship between vision and tenacity. Perhaps we’ve learned the most about gratitude: to each other as Women’s Service Day teammates; to the people who represent our partners; to the members of the project core team; to the donors who believed in and supported the project; to the volunteers who contributed untold hours of labor.”

After cutting the ribbon, symbolizing the transition from Women’s Service Day to Westcore Neighbors, Program Director Raul Garcia said, “This gathering place is a dream becoming reality. It has taken a village to undertake a project like Nuestra Casa, and we wouldn’t be standing here without the support of the larger community and Women’s Service Day. This is only the beginning of even greater things to come.”

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Built in 1896, the house was donated to New Community/Fourth Reformed Church in 2009. Several organizations, including the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area, Women Who Care Holland, and many individuals contributed to the $75,000 budget; local businesses offered gifts in kind and reduced pricing. Hundreds of people in the community contributed to numerous fundraising events coordinated by Women’s Service Day, which also won the national online Marigold Ideas for Good contest and a financial contribution.

Meanwhile, the construction team recruited volunteers from all over Holland, through a variety of organizations, to reinforce structures, install drywall and windows, replace siding, and even raise the roof. Several members of Hope Church have dedicated their time to lead construction crews for the past two years. Women’s Service Day has assigned volunteers to the Nuestra Casa projects during their annual event four years in a row. And Hope College students have contributed their efforts during their Time to Serve event. Finishing touches—from paint to cabinets and appliances to carpet and curtains—were completed in January and February this year.

To learn more about Nuestra Casa, visit the center’s blog: http://nuestracasathegatheringplace.wordpress.com/.

Working Together for the Greater Good of Our Community

That’s how one participant phrased it after participating in Women’s Service Day 2014. She said, “It is amazing what we can accomplish in a short amount of time, [and] meeting other women from companies in the area that I would not normally interact with.”

We couldn’t be more thrilled to hear a volunteer express two of the goals our planning team established back in 2001: making a difference for women and children in our community, and networking with other women.

On August 14, around 120 volunteers showed up to accomplish tasks and participate in fundraising activities for the 13th annual Women’s Service Day. In the morning and afternoon, they helped a number of nonprofits in the area, including:

Center for Women in Transition and Girls on the Run
Holland Rescue Mission, including Stepping Stones Day Care at the Family Hope Ministry Center
Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity
My Sister’s House II
Nestlings Diaper Bank
Nuestra Casa neighborhood center
Pathways, MI
Ready for School
8th Day Farm

During lunch, volunteers contributed to a raffle fundraiser for the Kelly Markatos Memorial Buildthrough Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity; together, we donated $1,248. They also filled a van with school supplies for Sylvia’s Place.

Volunteers carry some of the supplies donated for Sylvia’s Place

The van from Sylvia’s Place is filled with school supplies and ready to roll

Check out all the photos that reveal what happened in one day.

To quote another volunteer, “I loved meeting new people and helping to make a difference. It was great to have the opportunity to learn new skills, while helping a great cause.”

Does that entice you to get involved next year? Get on the mailing list by emailing womensserviceday@gmail.com.