HOLLAND, Mich. — It's not uncommon to change course in college, but Jaime Blom went from studying pre-med to dedicating her life to helping underserved students in Holland.
Blom said it started after seeing the need during a youth group she created at a local church.
Twelve years later, ACTS is an official nonprofit helping dozens of students with year-round support and activities.
"[The kids] chose the name ACTS. And then they went further and said they wanted that to be an acronym to mean different things. So they said that ACTS means art, community, teaching and serving," explained Blom. "There's all sorts of reasons why [some kids] may be falling through the cracks, but the fact that they can be here, and we can work together as a team, with their family, with them, with their friends, like, we're all in this together."
A home in the West Core neighborhood, renovated and set up to be a safe space, offers kids an afternoon snack, family meal and a place to form lasting friendships.
Programming is held year-round for kids from pre-K through high school, with activities offered in the summer like gardening and water safety.
"It's just a place to come and be yourself and to be seen and have someone bear witness to what's going on. And it doesn't mean that we can always help solve or fix, but we can listen, and we can care. And we can do what we can to try to support that student and that family through whatever," explained Blom.
Eighth grader Remi Perez has been involved with ACTS since the first grade.
"I thought it was really exciting to be able to go places and just go and hang out with people because I didn't have many friends," Perez said. "[Blom] is kind of like a second mom."
Lilly Santoya said the organization has helped shape her life.
"I feel like with the emotional support with Ms. Jaime and everything she has made me the person I am. I used to be really quiet but now with her and everyone in here, I've become more me, instead of just hiding away in a little shadow."
Blom said although life looks very different than she ever imagined, it's even more beautiful.
"People ask my husband and I all the time if we have biological kids, and we don't," she said. "We have chosen for this to be our life and for these to be our kids. ... I would never pick different work; I would never pick a different life. ... They inspire me; they teach me; they're teaching each other; they're changing me; they're changing each other."
She continued, "This is the best thing that I get to be a part of, and selfishly, like, I can't imagine not doing it because of what it adds to my life."
As the FOX 17 and Lake Michigan Credit Union Pay it Forward Person of the Month, Blom is receiving a $550 prize.
To learn more about ACTS, visit the website or Facebook page.
Know someone who should be featured next month? Nominate them here.
Meet Latasha Robertson-Crump, our December 2022 Pay it Forward Person of the Month.