Harvest Stand Ministries executive director Jordan Palladino stands in the food pantry of the Zeeland-based ministry. HSM has launched a capital campaign to raise $1.95 million toward renovating the former Wierda’s Paint & Wallpaper building at 322 W. Washington Ave. to serve as the ministry’s future home.
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
For nearly 30 years, Zeeland-area families struggling with food insecurity have been able to turn to Harvest Stand Ministries to help make sure they have enough to eat.
Since 2006, the nonprofit has served clients out of its current location in the City on a Hill ministry center. However, it says it’s running out of space to serve the growing list of families in need.
In response, Harvest Stand Ministries has launched a capital campaign, titled “Fighting Hunger, Building Hope,” to raise $1.95 million toward renovating the ministry’s future facility at 322 W. Washington Ave., which was once home to Wierda’s Paint & Wallpaper. The campaign was publicly announced earlier this month during HSM’s annual banquet at The Foundry Church in Zeeland.
As of last week, the campaign had received $1.54 million in donations and pledges, representing 79 percent of its goal, HSM executive director Jordan Palladino said.
Palladino said that in just the last four years, the number of people HSM serves has more than doubled. It has gone from about 5,500 clients in 2021 to more than 12,000 last year, and the ministry is on pace this year to reach 13,500 clients, Palladino said.
“I don’t know where the ceiling is, but we haven’t hit it yet,” he said. “There are definitely more people to serve. We had 27 new families visit us in August.”
Palladino laid out the groundwork for the campaign about 2-and-a-half years ago in a presentation to HSM’s board of directors.
“I said, ‘That’s it. We don’t get bigger here. We’re bordered by three external walls, we’re bordered by established ministries in the hallway. There’s nowhere else to go,’” he said. “I said from now on, we have two options – one, we find a new facility where we can continue to grow and meet the need, or two, I limit growth and I start telling people ‘no.’”
The board chose the first option.
Palladino cites a variety of factors for the increased requests for help, but he sees rising food prices as a big one.
“In a lot of previous economic hardships, no one really complained about their grocery bill,” he said. “If you think back to the ’08-09 financial crisis, no one was complaining about grocery prices. They were complaining about the job market, they were complaining about housing. Right now, people are absolutely complaining about grocery prices.”
In addition to providing food for its clients, Harvest Stand Ministries also provides free clothing to those in need.
“We’re a Christ-centered ministry. Jesus (said), ‘when I was hungry, you gave me food, when I was naked, you gave me clothing,’” Palladino said.
In 2021, Harvest Stand Ministries distributed about $40,000 worth of clothing (based on fair market value) to its clients. Last year, that number grew to $180,000, and it’s expected that the fair market value of clothes to be given out this year will top $250,000, Palladino said.
The Zeeland community has responded positively to the increased need for both food and clothing in the past few years, Palladino said.
“Our clothing donations have massively increased. Our food donations during that same period of time have tripled. We’ve moved from 100,000 pounds to 300,000 pounds,” he said.
“Our clients have increased. Our food (donations) have increased, our clothing (donations) have increased. Our facility space has not.”
The new Harvest Stand Ministries center will be 18,000 square feet, nearly triple the ministry’s existing 6,500-square-foot footprint, Palladino said.
“It gives us a ton of advantages … It gives us an open concept, it gives us multiple points of delivery entries in the rear of the building, it gives us a separate client and office entrance, which we don’t have currently,” Palladino said.
Palladino said that he has been in discussions with City on a Hill officials on the ministry’s needs and their future plans.
“City on a Hill has been a great partner, and we’ve immensely valued their partnership for the past 19 years that we’ve been here,” he said. “But the reality is, the space is not designed to do what we’re doing with it. We’re taking skids through a standard-size door – the same door that our clients, volunteers, staff and everyone goes through.”
Community members, businesses, and local organizations are invited to partner in the campaign through financial contributions, volunteer efforts, or in-kind support.
To learn more or make a donation, visit harveststand.org or contact Palladino at Jordan@harvest stand.org.
Zeeland Record
For nearly 30 years, Zeeland-area families struggling with food insecurity have been able to turn to Harvest Stand Ministries to help make sure they have enough to eat.
Since 2006, the nonprofit has served clients out of its current location in the City on a Hill ministry center. However, it says it’s running out of space to serve the growing list of families in need.
In response, Harvest Stand Ministries has launched a capital campaign, titled “Fighting Hunger, Building Hope,” to raise $1.95 million toward renovating the ministry’s future facility at 322 W. Washington Ave., which was once home to Wierda’s Paint & Wallpaper. The campaign was publicly announced earlier this month during HSM’s annual banquet at The Foundry Church in Zeeland.
As of last week, the campaign had received $1.54 million in donations and pledges, representing 79 percent of its goal, HSM executive director Jordan Palladino said.
Palladino said that in just the last four years, the number of people HSM serves has more than doubled. It has gone from about 5,500 clients in 2021 to more than 12,000 last year, and the ministry is on pace this year to reach 13,500 clients, Palladino said.
“I don’t know where the ceiling is, but we haven’t hit it yet,” he said. “There are definitely more people to serve. We had 27 new families visit us in August.”
Palladino laid out the groundwork for the campaign about 2-and-a-half years ago in a presentation to HSM’s board of directors.
“I said, ‘That’s it. We don’t get bigger here. We’re bordered by three external walls, we’re bordered by established ministries in the hallway. There’s nowhere else to go,’” he said. “I said from now on, we have two options – one, we find a new facility where we can continue to grow and meet the need, or two, I limit growth and I start telling people ‘no.’”
The board chose the first option.
Palladino cites a variety of factors for the increased requests for help, but he sees rising food prices as a big one.
“In a lot of previous economic hardships, no one really complained about their grocery bill,” he said. “If you think back to the ’08-09 financial crisis, no one was complaining about grocery prices. They were complaining about the job market, they were complaining about housing. Right now, people are absolutely complaining about grocery prices.”
In addition to providing food for its clients, Harvest Stand Ministries also provides free clothing to those in need.
“We’re a Christ-centered ministry. Jesus (said), ‘when I was hungry, you gave me food, when I was naked, you gave me clothing,’” Palladino said.
In 2021, Harvest Stand Ministries distributed about $40,000 worth of clothing (based on fair market value) to its clients. Last year, that number grew to $180,000, and it’s expected that the fair market value of clothes to be given out this year will top $250,000, Palladino said.
The Zeeland community has responded positively to the increased need for both food and clothing in the past few years, Palladino said.
“Our clothing donations have massively increased. Our food donations during that same period of time have tripled. We’ve moved from 100,000 pounds to 300,000 pounds,” he said.
“Our clients have increased. Our food (donations) have increased, our clothing (donations) have increased. Our facility space has not.”
The new Harvest Stand Ministries center will be 18,000 square feet, nearly triple the ministry’s existing 6,500-square-foot footprint, Palladino said.
“It gives us a ton of advantages … It gives us an open concept, it gives us multiple points of delivery entries in the rear of the building, it gives us a separate client and office entrance, which we don’t have currently,” Palladino said.
Palladino said that he has been in discussions with City on a Hill officials on the ministry’s needs and their future plans.
“City on a Hill has been a great partner, and we’ve immensely valued their partnership for the past 19 years that we’ve been here,” he said. “But the reality is, the space is not designed to do what we’re doing with it. We’re taking skids through a standard-size door – the same door that our clients, volunteers, staff and everyone goes through.”
Community members, businesses, and local organizations are invited to partner in the campaign through financial contributions, volunteer efforts, or in-kind support.
To learn more or make a donation, visit harveststand.org or contact Palladino at Jordan@harvest stand.org.
DeVerney Named New City Clerk
Kristi DeVerney
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
Shortly before she went on medical leave in late June, then-City Clerk Pam Holmes reached out to a friend to see if she could help staff the clerk’s office while Holmes was on leave.
Kristi DeVerney, the longtime deputy clerk in Grand Haven Township, agreed to step in as an interim deputy clerk for the city. She helped oversee the City Council primary election in August and took on other roles within the clerk’s office.
DeVerney’s performance in her interim capacity has led to her being appointed to replace Holmes, who died Oct. 3 of cancer at the age of 60. The City Council unanimously approved DeVerney’s appointment Oct. 20. She will begin her full-time duties with the city effective Dec. 1.
“During the interim period that Kristi has helped the city, (she) has proven to be knowledgeable, displayed a willingness to take on difficult tasks, and has operated well with our leadership team and City Council,” City Manager Tim Klunder wrote in a memo to the council recommending the appointment. “Simply put, Kristi has proven to be the right fit for our organization, during and following, unusual circumstances.”
After the council vote to appoint DeVerney, she bumped fists with interim deputy clerk Sharon Lash, who was taking minutes of the meeting. The two worked together in Grand Haven Township.
DeVerney served 18 years as deputy clerk in Grand Haven Township, handling elections, administration and community development. She continued to work for the township while she was also handling interim responsibilities in Zeeland.
DeVerney even took vacation time from her Grand Haven Township job to work in the city, Mayor Kevin Klynstra said.
“Not too many people would do things like that,” Klynstra said. “I think she’ll be a good fit and I think she’ll do a good job.”
DeVerney will receive a starting salary of $80,000 a year, a little higher than the midpoint on the salary range for the position, based on her performance in an interim capacity and past experience. She will also receive three weeks’ vacation, Klunder said.
Zeeland Record
Shortly before she went on medical leave in late June, then-City Clerk Pam Holmes reached out to a friend to see if she could help staff the clerk’s office while Holmes was on leave.
Kristi DeVerney, the longtime deputy clerk in Grand Haven Township, agreed to step in as an interim deputy clerk for the city. She helped oversee the City Council primary election in August and took on other roles within the clerk’s office.
DeVerney’s performance in her interim capacity has led to her being appointed to replace Holmes, who died Oct. 3 of cancer at the age of 60. The City Council unanimously approved DeVerney’s appointment Oct. 20. She will begin her full-time duties with the city effective Dec. 1.
“During the interim period that Kristi has helped the city, (she) has proven to be knowledgeable, displayed a willingness to take on difficult tasks, and has operated well with our leadership team and City Council,” City Manager Tim Klunder wrote in a memo to the council recommending the appointment. “Simply put, Kristi has proven to be the right fit for our organization, during and following, unusual circumstances.”
After the council vote to appoint DeVerney, she bumped fists with interim deputy clerk Sharon Lash, who was taking minutes of the meeting. The two worked together in Grand Haven Township.
DeVerney served 18 years as deputy clerk in Grand Haven Township, handling elections, administration and community development. She continued to work for the township while she was also handling interim responsibilities in Zeeland.
DeVerney even took vacation time from her Grand Haven Township job to work in the city, Mayor Kevin Klynstra said.
“Not too many people would do things like that,” Klynstra said. “I think she’ll be a good fit and I think she’ll do a good job.”
DeVerney will receive a starting salary of $80,000 a year, a little higher than the midpoint on the salary range for the position, based on her performance in an interim capacity and past experience. She will also receive three weeks’ vacation, Klunder said.
Council Approves 17 E. Main Agreement
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
The Zeeland City Council approved a development and reimbursement agreement for the 17 E. Main mixed-use project at its Oct. 20 meeting.
The agreement between the city and 17 E. Main LLC, a subsidiary of Zeeland-based Midwest Construction, will reimburse the developer for eligible costs tied to the construction of the three-story, 27,461-square-foot building that contains 22 apartments on the upper two floors and a proposed restaurant on the main floor. The reimbursement will come from new property tax revenues generated by the project.
Because the development included construction of affordable housing units, the 17 E. Main project was eligible as a brownfield redevelopment site. The city’s brownfield development authority will reimburse 17 E. Main LLC $671,900 over 14 years “for eligible activities such as environmental assessment, demolition, brownfield plan amendment and implementation, infrastructure to support housing, site preparation, housing gap activities and contingencies,” City Manager Tim Klunder wrote in a memo to the council.
In addition to reimbursing the developer, the 17 E. Main project received a commercial rehabilitation tax incentive, which basically freezes all taxes, except for school-related taxes, for the first 10 years of the project, Klunder wrote.
Six of the 22 apartment units will have their rent capped by the state. Individuals whose incomes are between 80 and 120 percent of Ottawa County’s area median income are eligible for the rent-controlled units. That would put the expected rent for those units at about $1,500 a month, Klunder said.
After the developer is fully reimbursed for its eligible costs, the city would then capture up to $2 million in tax increments over years 14-30 to largely fund a boiler system to expand the city’s snowmelt system. The boiler system, which has an estimated cost of $2.6 million, will be installed in the basement of the building, Klunder said.
A 132-seat El Rancho restaurant is planned on the main floor of 17 E. Main. The city’s Planning Commission in early September approved a special land use for the project, the first step toward allowing the sale of alcohol in the restaurant. The owners of the restaurant must still be approved for a liquor license.
Zeeland Record
The Zeeland City Council approved a development and reimbursement agreement for the 17 E. Main mixed-use project at its Oct. 20 meeting.
The agreement between the city and 17 E. Main LLC, a subsidiary of Zeeland-based Midwest Construction, will reimburse the developer for eligible costs tied to the construction of the three-story, 27,461-square-foot building that contains 22 apartments on the upper two floors and a proposed restaurant on the main floor. The reimbursement will come from new property tax revenues generated by the project.
Because the development included construction of affordable housing units, the 17 E. Main project was eligible as a brownfield redevelopment site. The city’s brownfield development authority will reimburse 17 E. Main LLC $671,900 over 14 years “for eligible activities such as environmental assessment, demolition, brownfield plan amendment and implementation, infrastructure to support housing, site preparation, housing gap activities and contingencies,” City Manager Tim Klunder wrote in a memo to the council.
In addition to reimbursing the developer, the 17 E. Main project received a commercial rehabilitation tax incentive, which basically freezes all taxes, except for school-related taxes, for the first 10 years of the project, Klunder wrote.
Six of the 22 apartment units will have their rent capped by the state. Individuals whose incomes are between 80 and 120 percent of Ottawa County’s area median income are eligible for the rent-controlled units. That would put the expected rent for those units at about $1,500 a month, Klunder said.
After the developer is fully reimbursed for its eligible costs, the city would then capture up to $2 million in tax increments over years 14-30 to largely fund a boiler system to expand the city’s snowmelt system. The boiler system, which has an estimated cost of $2.6 million, will be installed in the basement of the building, Klunder said.
A 132-seat El Rancho restaurant is planned on the main floor of 17 E. Main. The city’s Planning Commission in early September approved a special land use for the project, the first step toward allowing the sale of alcohol in the restaurant. The owners of the restaurant must still be approved for a liquor license.
