ICCF Community Homes - Blueprints, Summer 2019

In This Issue A Message from Our CEO Impact of You A Home for New Beginnings What Does "Home" Mean to You? "Home at Last" Housing Pipeline

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A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO ICCF BOARD OF DIRECTORS Andrew Miedema, Chair

Mercantile Bank

Johana Rodriguez Quist, Vice Chair Literacy Center of West Michigan Marjorie Dood, Treasurer Montage, Inc. Arlen-Dean Gaddy, Secretary Erhardt Construction Jamecia Adams Keller Williams Realty Kevin Einfeld BDR Custom Homes William Jackson Spectrum Health Teresa Jones Christian Reformed Church in North America Rhoda Kreuzer Partners in Action, Inc. Jason Kuiper Inontime, Inc. Tom Paarlberg Greenridge Realty

Dear ICCF friends and partners, When people learn that I work in affordable housing, they sometimes ask me some form of the question: How do you know that you are only helping the “deserving” poor?

It’s hard to define what exactly makes a person dealing with poverty, or any person, “deserving,” but I get the sense that behind the question is a belief that there are certain people who are most definitely undeserving. People who have broken the law, or didn’t make the right choices, or who haven’t put in the “work” to get the things they have.

In the face of this question I am reminded of the Biblical truth that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and that all of us are undeserving of His grace and mercy. If God only helped people who deserved help, none of us would be here.

We are in this work because we believe that all people deserve a place to call home, no matter their background. This is easy to put on a flyer and say in a speech, but often hard to put into practice in the real world.

In this issue of Blueprints you’ll read about an ICCF home that is helping to change lives in connection with the Calvin Prison Initiative. After renovation and financial support from LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church, the house has become a supportive, opportunity-focused home for returning citizens who are continuing their studies. ICCF is managing the property and doing all we can to make sure these neighbors flourish and avoid the revolving door that too often awaits those in the prison system. I hope you are as inspired as I have been by this partnership among the students, the academic world, the church, and the community.

And so we’re pressing on, determined to serve not only former prisoners but everyone who faces barriers to good housing. We do this through our affordable rentals, homeownership opportunities, emergency shelter, housing education, counseling, and more. All this would not be possible without the community, churches, donors, and supporters like you.

Grace and Peace,

GO GREEN & STAY UP TO DATE WITH ICCF Sign up for the e-version of Blueprints today!

Contact Marie Tiemersma Eakin at mtiemersmaeakin@iccf.org or call (616) 336-9333.

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Ryan VerWys President and CEO rverwys@iccf.org

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IMPACT OF YOU: SPARTANNASH We are so grateful to our friends at SpartanNash who recently hosted an employee service day at Family Haven and also awarded the emergency shelter with a $10,000 grant. Their team members worked on smallscale construction projects, cleaning and organization of donated goods, and helped clean up the playground at Family Haven. Their work ensures that the five families who live there have a clean, safe, and welcoming space to live while our team assists them in finding affordable housing.

SpartanNash encourages employees to give back to the community by volunteering. Their values of teamwork and

LUNCH & LEARN

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integrity align with ICCF's vision of housing justice through community effort. As the saying goes, many hands make light work!

"We are so grateful for the SpartanNash team's tremendous support of ICCF and our community," shared Katie Brower, ICCF's Volunteer & Stewardship Coordinator. "Their efforts have a direct impact on the families we serve." > Interested in volunteering with ICCF? Contact Katie at kbrower@iccf.org.

OCTOBER 24 churches

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Join us from noon to 1 pm to learn more about what we do and how you can be involved. Churches are invited to a special Lunch & Learn in October tailored to the ways we can partner together to make a difference in our community.

RSVP to Marie Tiemersma Eakin at (616) 336-9333 ext 411 or mtiemersmaeakin@iccf.org

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A HOME FOR NEW BEGINNINGS A Community Homes Initiative housing unit will soon be home to three former inmates who are on track to earn a Bachelor’s Degree through the Calvin Prison Initiative.

There is an ICCF home with very special tenants.

This fall, it will house three previously incarcerated men.

Over the next few years, these men will graduate college, receive assistance in re-entering community life, and start giving back, perhaps by volunteering with at-risk youth or assisting with transitions for other parolees. Their story weaves together support from the Calvin Prison Initiative at Calvin University, the LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church, and our Community Homes Initiative, resulting in an incredible story of transformation and redemption.

“We had no intention of getting involved in re-entry or parole, and here we are,” laughs Dr. Todd Cioffi. Dr. Cioffi serves as Director of the Calvin Prison Initiative and is working closely with the tenants in this story. His vision is a community of men who are rebuilding their lives together, investing in their education with a hard-earned degree, and who are being blessed by and, in turn, blessing the local church.

THE SCHOOL The Calvin Prison Initiative (CPI) is a partnership between Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary which brings hope, dignity, and the opportunity for real accomplishment to incarcerated men. In this program, prisoners who apply and are accepted are able to earn a bachelor’s degree in Faith and Community Leadership while being housed at the Richard A. Handlon Correctional 4

Facility. The goal is to lower rates of inmate violence and recidivism, and the success so far has been tremendous.

Over 90 student inmates are currently enrolled. Their overall GPA is an astounding 3.5 and many have already received Associate’s degrees through the program.

“Immediately when you go into the prison, you get the sense there’s something different going on there,” shares Mitch Schroder. Through his role as Annual Fund Director at Calvin Seminary and member at LaGrave Church, he has personally visited the classrooms at the Handlon Correctional Facility, now officially labeled a satellite campus of Calvin University. He describes how the initial feelings of suspicion towards CPI has blossomed into appreciation and welcome. “Everyone in the prison is benefitting from this program, whether they are in it or not.”

The original intention of CPI was to serve men with more than seven years on their sentences, giving them ample time to complete the five-year program. But when four participants were set to be released on probation earlier than anticipated, their ability to complete their Bachelor’s degree through CPI seemed in jeopardy. Moreover, they were facing a potentially rough re-entry into life in Grand Rapids with the search for affordable housing in the midst of adjusting to life on parole.

What if there was a place where these men could work and live together in community while completing their degrees?

And as it often happens with problems, it turns out God had already provided the answer.

THE LOCAL CHURCH Back in 2017, ICCF acquired 213 properties in the first Community Homes Initiative portfolio. One of these homes had so many code violations and needed so much work that the inspector joked we almost qualified for a new build certification.

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To help renovate this home, we reached out to our longtime community partner LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church. They eagerly jumped on board to sponsor this house, allocating money and over 600 hours of volunteer work to renovate the space.

In addition to their work on this property, the congregation at LaGrave had also long been supporters of the church plant at the Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility. This unique gathering of current inmates and outside visitors meets for Bible study and worship each week.

“That was our congregation’s first introduction to working in the prison,” shares Rev. Michael Hoogeboom. “Being located in the Heartside neighborhood has opened our eyes to the need to address issues of recidivism. Investing in these brothers, already while they are in prison, is important work for the Kingdom of God.”

the community, education, and investment to continue.

LaGrave Church’s involvement in prison ministry and with ICCF set up a beautiful way for these men to move forward: community living in an affordable home.

Parolees are normally not permitted to associate with other parolees, but CPI received special permission from the parole board for three of the released participants to live together and for a fourth to visit for dinner and schoolwork.

Their new home is located right next to a bus line in lowdensity housing. It has been beautifully redone inside and out to create a multi-residential living space that is functional and welcoming. Their residence completes the story of a house that was once vacant, run-down, and abandoned to a home that is now enriching the neighborhood and the lives of the people who live there. In addition to renovating the house, the church at LaGrave has furnished the home, created welcome baskets for the residents, and is helping to subsidize rent.

“It makes sense for us to help these men who are returning to Grand Rapids,” shares Rev. Hoogeboom. “It deepens our understanding of how God is at work in this world.” He likens the church’s involvement in the prison initiative and re-entry program to sowing seeds as in the Biblical parable, and he is confident the fruit they reap will be a blessing to everyone involved.

LaGrave Volunteers

THE HOME The CPI participants who were about to be released on parole were facing not only the turbulence of re-entry, but also the difficulties of finding affordable housing and the unknowns associated with finishing their degrees. Dr. Cioffi recalls, “When we realized we would have several students paroling, we thought, ‘It makes no sense to try and build community inside the prison and not continue it on the outside.’” They were determined to find a way for

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Photo courtesy of Calvin University

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WHAT DOES "HOME" MEAN TO YOU? In June, interested residents of Porter Hills Village, a retirement community on East Fulton St., gathered to hear Ryan VerWys talk about how ICCF meets housing needs in our area. Many of them have been faithful ICCF donors for decades.

As he’s done on other occasions, Ryan began his remarks by asking: “What does the word “HOME” mean for you?”

Their responses, born out of decades of lived experience, came rapidly: Security … Family … Love … Beautiful … A place to rest … Peaceful … Memories ….

These senior citizens deeply appreciate what “home” has meant for them and their families. They also know how critical it is for others, and they want to help assure that struggling families have a place that’s home.

One way for donors in their retirement years to continue to support causes they hold dear, is through gifts that pay them an assured income for life and then provide the remainder to the charity. That’s been the case for Porter Hills resident Blanche VanderBent, who said: “Over the past 10 years, I’ve arranged for two ICCF Charitable Gift Annuities through Barnabas Foundation. Pete and I supported ICCF as donors and volunteers since the late 1980s so my heart is warmed to see their work flourish.

Thanks be to God!” > For more information about planned gifts, including gifts that pay income for life, please contact Hank Kroondyk, ICCF's Planned Giving Specialist, at hkroondyk@iccf.org or (616) 336-9333 x403 or visit iccf.org.

"HOME AT LAST" “People thrive on beauty,” says Holly Sturges. That belief is a driving force behind her work as an artist and her 35 years of involvement with federal housing programs. “The people who run ICCF’s programs really have a sense of every person’s worth. I think beauty tells people that.”

For the past two years, oil paintings from Holly’s “Home at Last” collection have graced the halls of ICCF’s building at 920 Cherry. Our office has often served as a gallery for local artists, and with the subject of Holly’s work and her longstanding connection to ICCF this installation was a perfect fit.

Holly’s vignettes in the “Home at Last” collection echo the work that ICCF does. Home is a place to land: a place of grounding and safety and rejuvenation. Holly’s paintings are filled with the warmth and sometimes chaotic feel of home, inspired by scenes from her own life.

“As part of my career in housing, I was at the initial meetings which led to the creation of the Inner City Christian Federation,” says Holly. “[The homes ICCF was building] changed the face of the neighborhood; they made everything beautiful. I think people are happier living in beautiful places.”

Now a full-time artist, Holly is still passionate about continuing the work of making places for others to call home. Her artwork reminds us that a house is more than just furniture and rooms: it’s a space to flourish. > Holly’s artwork can be seen at the ICCF offices at 920 Cherry Street and is available for purchase. We invite you to stop in from 9am to 5pm to view the collection. Learn more about Holly and her work at hollysturges.com.

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HOUSING PIPELINE 501 EASTERN Construction began in fall 2018 on 65 mixed-income housing units in Baxter, Madison neighborhood. This new development will add vibrancy and density to a community facing an affordable housing shortage and rising rents. Seventeen units are designated for formerly homeless youth, and Bethany Christian Services will offer supportive services to these residents.

501 Eastern

STOCKBRIDGE Fifty-one affordable units and 13 market rate units on the west side, slated for completion in Winter 2019. This five story development will have 64 units. Commercial bays owned and operated by Rockford Development will occupy the ground floor, in addition to a community room, exercise room, and kids’ room.

Stockbridge

EASTERN ELEMENTARY Construction begins soon on four-story historic building to create 50 apartment units. ICCF is collaborating with MSHDA, the MEDC, and the City of Grand Rapids to fund the renovation of Eastern Elementary. The school will uniquely serve families with low to moderate incomes, including families who earn 40-120% of the Area Median Income.

Eastern Elementary

415 FRANKLIN Construction begins Summer 2019 on this project, which will include ICCF’s future office space. ICCF is now planning for the redevelopment of the former Grand Rapids Christian High School building at 415 Franklin in partnership with Madison Square Church: Ford Campus. The first floor will include worship and activity space for the church, an early childhood daycare center, and ICCF’s new office space.

Fourty affordable apartments will occupy floors two and three.

415 Franklin

TAPESTRY SQUARE SENIOR LIVING

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New development includes mixed-use, mixed-income senior living at 424 South Division. This 7-story independent senior living facility will be comprised of 84 housing units, 50 of which would be reserved as affordable homes. ICCF received Low Income Housing Tax Credits for this proposed development and is still in the early stages of planning.

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920 Cherry Street SE Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506

WE LOVED CELEBRATING OUR VOLUNTEERS & DONORS AT THE SUMMER SOIREE THIS JULY! OUR MISSION

Equitable Opportunity | Affordable Homes | Thriving Neighborhoods P: (616) 336-9333 | ICCF.ORG