KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Each month, FOX 17 recognizes someone doing good in West Michigan as our Pay it Forward Person of the Month.
Thursday, all of the monthly winners from 2023 were honored during the annual FOX 17 Pay it Forward Awards Gala at Frederik Meijer Gardens.
One winner was also named the FOX 17 and Lake Michigan Credit Union Pay it Forward Person of the Year and receive a $5,000 prize.
Click here to learn who the big winner is!
Here's a look at the 2023 monthly winners:
January: Jaime Blom. A house in Holland is the headquarters for her nonprofit ACTS. It’s a safe space where underserved kids can share a meal, get help with homework, play, and form meaningful relationships.
February: Aarie Wade. Wade started The Black Book Exchange Box to make it easier for people of all ages to discover, read, and share books representing Black people and culture. Everyone is welcome to borrow books from the 11 book houses in Grand Rapids.
March: Melissa Tubergen. When Tubergen adopted her son, camping is how her family grew closer. That inspired her to start Give Hope RV. The nonprofit gives foster and adoptive families a place to get away for free.
April: Jess Ronne. After her son Lucas was born disabled, she realized that children with special needs are only as healthy as their caregivers. Named after her son, she established The Lucas Project to give parent caregivers much-needed respite.
May: Kennedy Saint Denis. As a senior at Greenville High School, she initiated Butterfly Boxes. Located in every girls’ bathroom and the main office, the boxes are full of free personal hygiene items.
June: Bill Komejan has been volunteering at hospitals for decades. And at 92-years-old, he is still going. He put in nearly 10,000 hours at Spectrum Health South Pavilion alone.
July: Diane Grummet. More than 140 families have been helped in their cancer journey thanks to the tradition she started. Every fall, Ionia comes together for Purple Week, fundraising for families dealing with cancer.
August: Iryonna Hogan-Davis. Mentoring and housing are just some of the resources offered by her organization, Meaning in Colors. Her goal is to empower children and young adults to reach their full potential.
September: Jeff Steele. Steele’s vision is to help teens aging out of foster care by providing them their first place. He is building seven duplexes where teens can live independently until they are ready to be self-sufficient. He’s raised $160-thousand towards construction so far.
October: Jennie Cullin. Cullin gives old toys a new life and a new purpose. She cleans and restores dolls and stuffed animals, and donates them to kids in orphanages and foster care. This past holiday season, she worked on a batch of 100 toys to give away.
November: Reggie Howard. After eleven years of serving in the Navy, he has a new mission: giving veterans a reason to get up in the morning. He founded Hero’s Corner. It’s a safe, sober place where veterans can socialize and support each other.
December: Jessica Johns. Johns co-founded The StoreHouse, which connects brand-new, donated items to people in need. More than 4-hundred nonprofit and school partners turn to the StoreHouse for free and low-cost products.
The Person of the Year is determined via rank choice voting by select FOX 17 and Lake Michigan Credit Union staff members.
To nominate someone deserving of a 2024 Pay it Forward award, click here.
READ MORE: And the winner is... 2023 Person of the Year announced at annual gala