The Holland Rescue Mission provides a safe, loving environment for those in transition, especially those facing homelessness when it's bitter and cold outside. They open their doors to everyone who is in need of a warm space during Michigan's harsh winters.
HRM has roughly 70 staff members that perform the work of a full ministry, and have opportunities for 250-300 volunteers each week. Volunteers regularly help serve meals and go out into the community and collect coins from coin boxes, collect items, help with cleaning, maintenance, and more.
Holland Rescue Mission wants women and children to stay in a place that doesn't look or feel like a shelter, but rather more like a home. There are individual rooms with individual bathrooms, so families have some extent of privacy and safety. They also have overflow rooms where they put cots on the floor or mattresses as a temporary involution in case the individual rooms are all occupied.
Women and children come to the shelter for a variety of reasons, especially around the holidays. Holland Rescue Mission does their best to brighten up their holiday by having Santa and his elves come visit the shelter to deliver gifts to the kids, as well as take part in some holiday activities.
Holland Rescue Mission does everything they can to support families with the basics so the women staying there can focus more on getting their life back on track. By preparing meals and a safe place to sleep, moms don't need to stress about providing those necessities for their kids, and focus more on finding employment.
For example, Maria is a mom of 14-year-old twins who is staying at HRM under special circumstances. She'd lost her current home and didn't know anyone in the Holland area to help her, so she called the shelter and had been staying there for a few months.
Maria says by HRM giving her and her teens a place to stay while they figure out their life situation, she's been able to make friends at the shelter, and find inspiration and strength to believe in herself again. She's found hope in a situation she thought she'd never see herself in, and is inspired to pay it forward to people facing the same struggles she is.
Once she's back on her feet again, she plans on giving back to the shelter by helping prepare her favorite meals for future residents.
To learn more about the Holland Rescue Mission and the Family Hope Ministry Center, head online to HollandRescue.org.
