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

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.

Live Local, Give Local: Women’s Service Day Featured on WOTV

We’re excited to see Women’s Service Day on local TV!

This week, Jordan Carson from WOTV4women featured our event on her segment, “Social Sizzle,” which connects viewers to unique charitable events and organizations that are making a difference in West Michigan.

If you missed the show, you can watch the video online. It includes interviews with one of our planning team members, a Women’s Service Day volunteer, and the Westcore Neighbors’ neighborhood connector, and highlights one of our largest projects ever, Nuestra Casa neighborhood center.

Thanks to Jordan and WOTV for spreading the word about our event!

Women’s Service Day in the Summertime

Women’s Service Day is changing things up a bit this year. Gear up for a summer event on Thursday, August 14.

We’re looking forward to wrapping up our renovation project at the Nuestra Casa neighborhood center so Westcore residents can start using the facility to build community. We will also be providing volunteer service opportunities for Women’s Service Day participants at a number of nonprofit organizations in Holland.

Now is the time to recruit your friends and colleagues! We’ll share more information about the day and send a registration e-mail when summer arrives—and we do think it will arrive eventually—but for now, save the date!

Nuestra Casa: The Final Stretch

Progress on Nuestra Casa neighborhood center as of March 2014

It’s spring! The snow is melting and the temperatures are rising. Who’s up for some volunteer work days at Nuestra Casa neighborhood center?

It’s amazing how much progress has been made, thanks to the teams of tireless volunteers and leaders–including many volunteers from Women’s Service Day. Check out how Nuestra Casa has transformed through time and energy donated by our volunteers:

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We’ve reached our fundraising goal, so we can keep our momentum going. Now let’s get ‘er done!

Beginning Saturday, March 29, we have several crews scheduled to work. You can join one that’s planned or you can create your own. Sign up as a volunteer or crew leader. Bring your friends, your family, your work team, or your book group. There are lots of Saturdays available late spring and early summer (except for May 10 because of Tulip Time).

The Women’s Service Day team is managing work days. If you’re interested in volunteering either as a crew leader or on a crew, please contact: womensserviceday@gmail.com.

Year-End Giving: Nuestra Casa Neighborhood Center

It’s amazing how much has been accomplished at Nuestra Casa since Women’s Service Day teamed up with Good Samaritan Ministries, Westcore Neighbors, and New Community/Fourth Reformed Church to renovate an abandoned home in the City of Holland for neighbors to use as a gathering place.

Volunteers, friends, neighbors, and generous donors have given their time and money to procure the materials needed, and make the work happen.

• Women’s Service Day participants raised the roof this year on October 3.
• Companies like Herman Miller and Johnson Controls have donated funds and also provided plenty of volunteers.
• Hope College students contributed volunteer hours for work days both this year and last.
• Women Who Care chose Nuestra Casa for its quarterly donation.
• Tireless construction team leaders have shown up in all kinds of weather–with and without crews—to keep the project moving.

Thanks to the work by so many people, we’ve continued to make great strides in creating “pride of place” in the City of Holland.

But there are still ways to give. In addition to ongoing work days, we’re keeping the online gift registries open for purchasing gifts in kind to help equip Nuestra Casa with necessities for its educational, social, and community programs. Just in time for Cyber Monday! Simply link to our previous post about where and how to shop for Nuestra Casa online.

On December 19, stop by Orange Leaf in downtown Holland and eat yogurt for Nuestra Casa! Ten percent of all profits will go to the neighborhood center that day. Come between 11:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.

You can also make a donation for the neighborhood center by writing a check to Good Samaritan Ministries, the project’s fiduciary agent, with “Nuestra Casa” in the memo line and send it to:

Good Samaritan Ministries
513 East 8th Street
Suite 25
Holland, MI 49423

Or, you can make an online donation through our website.

We appreciate any contribution you can make!

Thank you, and happy holidays!

The Women’s Service Day Organizing Committee
Marcia Davis, Cindy DeGraaf, Sue Gadbois, Angela Griffore, Lois Maassen, Cheryl Murdoch, Kallie Spidahl, Carrie Ypma

Herman Miller Cares

You may or may not know that Women’s Service Day began in 2002 when seven women who worked together decided to recruit volunteers for a Habitat for Humanity women’s build project. They all worked at office furniture manufacturer Herman Miller. Although Women’s Service Day has always been a grassroots event, it was born from this connection the planning team members had with each other through their employer.

So our team was especially thrilled when its giving program called Herman Miller Cares made a $2,000 donation to the Nuestra Casa neighborhood center renovation fund, helping the project near its goal of $75,000. Herman Miller Cares is designed to develop deeper relationships with the local organizations that Herman Miller employees are passionate about.

Herman Miller was also a corporate contributor to the Women’s Service Day silent auction at this year’s event, which brought in over $1,800 for Nuestra Casa on October 3.

We’re thankful, not only for the company’s generous gifts, but also for the benefit it offers employees: 16 hours of paid time to work with the charitable organizations of their choice. For 12 years, we’ve continued to fill our work crews with many volunteers from Herman Miller volunteers. We know they care!

Other Ways to Help Beyond Women’s Service Day

We know: Fall is a busy time! Many women who would like to participate on Women’s Service Day find their calendars are booked and they aren’t able to register as volunteers for our one-day event on October 3.

If you have a passion for helping women and children and building community here in West Michigan, there are other ways you can help out without actually being present on October 3.

1. You can donate to the Nuestra Casa neighborhood center project via Good Samaritan Ministries.
2. Order your pig-in-the-blankets by September 30. Proceeds will benefit Nuestra Casa.
3. Contribute to our networking lunch or silent auction/raffle fundraising efforts.
4. Shop online to help equip Nuestra Casa with necessities for its educational, social, and community programs through these gift registries. Your gift will be delivered to a local address for safe storage until Nuestra Casa renovations are complete.
   • Teerman’s in Holland
   • Bed, Bath & Beyond
   • My Registry

To shop, you can click on the links above, or you can go to the store’s website and enter: First name: Nuestra, Last name: Casa

(You may see Kallie Spidahl’s name connected to the registry when you go online. She’s our Women’s Service Day team member who coordinated and set up the accounts.)

Every little bit helps!

And, if you can spare an hour, it’s not too late to join us for lunch, where you can bid on auction items and network with other women from our community. Feel free to bring a friend, but please register first!