Brianne Pitchford, Secretary Triangle Associates Inc.
Tom Prince, Treasurer
Hungerford
Devetta Blakely
Cherry Health
Omar Brown
OA Private Capital
David Contant
BDR Custom Homes
Mary DeYoung
Gray Space Collaborative
Janice Dorsey Arkenya Designs, Inc./SOWN
Lee Hardy
Calvin University
Alma Obande
Grand Rapids Public Schools
Ryan Ogle
Blue House Properties
Rick Treur
Grand Rapids Chamber
A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO
Dear friends,
At this year’s Houses to Homes Gala, we shared the story of Gio, a longtime ICCF resident who recently became a homeowner. “It is possible to own your own place,” she said at the end of her story before closing with a final, powerful question: “Why not?” Like many, I’ve been thinking a lot about those last two words.
Why Not? can be asked with uncertainty. When families are told that they cannot stay in the homes they’ve known for years, or they cannot find a stable, comfortable place to live, they may ask in desperation: Why not?
Why Not? can be asked with conviction. When we’re told there’s nothing we can do about the systemic barriers of racial discrimination, rezoning, predatory lending, and an ever-changing market, we ask with holy discontent: Why not?
Gio’s story, and those you’ll read in this issue, show us that Why Not? can also be asked with bold, determined hope. Gio reminds us that the dream of stable housing and flourishing communities is not out of reach.
Through God’s provision and your support, we are working toward a future of equitable opportunity, affordable homes, and thriving neighborhoods. The barriers are real, but so is our resolve. And with your generosity, we are turning Why not? from a question of fear into a declaration of faith-filled possibility. Thank you for joining in this mission.
Grace and peace,
Ryan VerWys President and
CEO
rverwys@iccf.org
An amazing night of celebration at the Houses to Homes Gala, where we recognized the pressing need for housing in West Michigan and honored the inspiring individuals and organizations dedicated to giving back.
ICCF Community Homes is thrilled to be a charity partner for the 2025 Amway River Bank Run. Funds raised through charitable donations will benefit the Community Homes Initiative which seeks to revitalize existing houses to make affordable housing options in our neighborhoods possible.
Make a difference on Race Day when you:
• Participate – 25k, 10k, 5k walk or run on May 10, 2025
• Fundraise – visit iccf.org/run for more details
• Join the Race Route Team –cheer on the Run for Home Team, graphics for social media available at iccf.org/run or posters at ICCF’s table in the DeVos Place on race day.
ICCF Community Homes traces its founding to a group of volunteers at Eastern Ave Christian Reformed Church who 50 years ago renovated a house in the neighborhood and sold it to a low-income family. That’s why we began the ICCF Homes & Hope Legacy Society’s 50th Anniversary Trolley Tour at the church where it all began.
Once on the road, the trolleys passed scores of homes and multi-family buildings that ICCF has renovated or built throughout the years. Trolley riders also heard how lives were enriched, not only by these buildings,
but also by the equipping services ICCF provided. They then returned to the church for lunch, followed by a program featuring a Q&A with Ryan VerWys and Jonathan Bradford.
In his closing remarks, Hank Kroondyk focused on the quotation: Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant, saying: “We know that seasons don’t just come and go; they build on each other. What’s planted in the spring is harvested in fall. What lies dormant in the winter, sprouts and blossoms in the spring. We’ve seen the harvest that’s been reaped from ICCF’s 50 years of
Share this with a runner you know!
ministry. We’ve also seen some ICCF seeds that will blossom and bear fruit in the years to come.”
The annual Homes & Hope Legacy Luncheon is a special gathering of donors who have (or are considering) included a contribution to ICCF Community Homes in their estate plans. For more event photos, visit iccf.org/planned-gifts and click on “Legacy Trolley Tour and Lunch 2024”.
Houses to Homes Gala
The music of Brioso floated over the crowd of almost 700 who gathered for Houses to Homes Gala 2025 at the JW Marriott on March 6, 2025. Emcee Tova Jones surprised the crowd by announcing Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist was there to make a few remarks. Gilchrist highlighted the need for continued collaboration and innovation like Tax Incremental Funding (TIF) which is making The Seymour development by ICCF possible for income qualified homebuyers.
IMPACT OF YOU
Ebenezer Awards
The Ebenezer Awards honor those who have made a lasting impact on ICCF Community Homes’ mission: developing equitable opportunity, affordable homes, and thriving neighborhoods. This year, an Ebenezer Award was given to three individuals/groups who exemplify using their skills, time, and treasure to BUILD stronger communities.
“Why not?” was the sentiment shared by Gio, a longtime ICCF resident who took the leap to become a homeowner in 2024. Her question inspired us all to imagine new and lasting solutions to the challenges of affordable housing. The evening’s program featured CEO Ryan VerWys who shared two additional ICCF resident
Encounter Church
DOING GOOD: In 2023 and 2024, Encounter Church practiced their core value of “loving where they live” by partnering with ICCF Community Homes for Doing Good Month. The generous outpouring of support from the two-site church funded the restoration of three ICCF homes, inspired dozens of volunteers to donate time, and provided supplies for our emergency shelter, Family Haven.
Mick McGraw
HOMES TODAY & TOMORROW: For nearly 25 years, Mick McGraw has been a dedicated supporter of ICCF Community Homes. Motivated by his faith, he is a passionate advocate, spreading the word about ICCF Community Homes’ mission throughout West Michigan. Mick inspires
stories to challenge each person to use what they have to invest in neighbors so that finding affordable housing someday will no longer be a “miracle” but simply be a place to call home.
Thank you to those who generously gave, helping ICCF exceed our evening’s match goal of $50,000 along with all who attended and sponsored Houses to Homes Gala 2025 . Together we can make equitable opportunity, affordable homes, and thriving neighborhoods a reality.
Hear Gio’s full homeownership journey and view more photos at iccf.org/gala-2025
others to get involved, encouraging them to become donors, volunteers, and partners. As a home builder, his company, Eastbrook Homes, is a key partner of ICCF helping to create affordable homeownership opportunities for families in our community.
Mortgage 1 Inc.
LASTING VOLUNTEER IMPACT: Mortgage 1 Inc.’s Dan Grzywacz, Scott Reilly, and Adam Tolley have made significant contributions to housing equity and accessibility in our community through their expertise in mortgage lending, community engagement, and financial education. In their 15 years of partnership, they have volunteered as teachers in our homeownership classes and have consistently donated to ICCF’s work.
Thank You, Sponsors!
GRAND SPONSORS
CHAMPION SPONSORS
Bill and Annette Byl
PATRON SPONSORS
Behler-Young Co.
Jonathan and Grace Bradford
CapTrust Financial Advisors
Chesapeake Community Advisors, Inc.
Community Automotive Repair
Corewell Health
H & H Metal Source
Hungerford
Duane and Jeannette Kelderman
Kuiper Kraemer PC
Kynda
LMCU
Mercantile Bank of Michigan
BENEFACTOR SPONSORS
Dave & Barb Huyser
Michigan State Housing
Development Authority
OVD Insurance
Plante Moran, PLLC
PNC Bank
Jim and Marie Preston
River Ridge Dentistry
Rockford Construction Co.
Deanna & James KA Smith
The Local Church
Triangle Associates, Inc.
VanderLugt, Mulder, DeVries & Elders
Marsha and Larry Veenstra
William and Patricia Waanders
The R. VerWys Family Ministries
FRIEND SPONSORS
ABRA Lawncare and Landscape
Ajacs
Martin and Melissa Balk
Marc and Claudia Beversluis
Brown & Brown Ins.
ChoiceOne Bank
Mitchell and Jill DeJonge
DeStigter Architecture LLC
Doeren Mayhew
Dominican Sisters - Grand Rapids
Fence Consultants
Grand Rapids Community Foundation
Grand Rapids Housing Commission
Helmholdt Construction
Hopkins Fundraising Consulting
Huntington Bank
Macatawa Bank
Mathison | Mathison Architects
Modern Hardware Inc.
Overhead Door Company of Grand Rapids
Quantum Leap
Rite-Way Plumbing and Heating, Inc.
Steven and Barb Timmermans
The Express Employment
Professionals Companies
Urban League of West Michigan
Urban Renovations
Ryan and Rachel VerWys
Voyage Pictures
Wells Fargo Advisors
West Michigan Community Bank
Encounter Church Mick McGraw
Community Roots and Thriving Neighborhoods:
The Spirit of Belonging at 1309
Madison
Is there a place in your neighborhood where community just seems to happen? Maybe it’s the daycare drop off, where you offer a warm hello to your neighbor. Perhaps it’s your church, where you share a cup of coffee after a service. Or maybe, like many, it’s the grocery store, where you bump into a friend, reaching for the same loaf of bread or carton of milk. These ordinary spaces can foster deep connections and thriving communities.
It was one of these everyday, ordinary spaces that started it all for Frank Thomas and Wilson Tate; two lifelong friends who would have a significant impact on our community. Their families, like many others, migrated from the South to Michigan in search of opportunity and a better life. The Thomas and Tate families settled
in Michigan where the two came to work together at “Bi-Lo Grocery”, a Kroger-owned market on Jefferson Avenue in Grand Rapids. Bi-Lo closed its doors when Kroger left most of Grand Rapids in the early 1980s. Rather than seeing the store’s closing as a setback, the two men and their spouses saw an opportunity. Combining their entrepreneurial spirits and knowledge of the grocery business, they set out to start their own store. In 1983, Thomas and Tate purchased 1309 Madison (previous location of A&P Food Store, Eberhard Super Food Market and Madison Food Town) and
refurbished the building, opening the first black-owned grocery store in the neighborhood, “Madison Food Center.”
Their new business thrived, catching the attention of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce,
where Frank Thomas served for twelve years. The sense of belonging in Madison Square was strong - so much so that neighbors continued to call the store “Food Town” long after Thomas and Tate opened their Madison Food Center. The grocery store proved to be a hub for community. By 1989, they needed more space and moved to 1226 Madison (currently the home of The Great Giant Supermarket), opening a new store on April 18, six years after their first. The business became Michigan’s largest blackowned grocery store. They operated the store until retiring in 2022.
When Thomas and Tate left 1309 Madison, the building continued its service as a community hub by becoming “Project Focus” for the Grand Rapids Child Guidance Center and Arbor Circle. In 2001, the building housed the African Center for the Madison Area Neighborhood Association as well the International Child Development Center, Majid Mohammad Mosque, the African Community Center, and Oodles and Noodles Childcare.
But like so many landmarks, 1309 Madison eventually fell silent. Since 2008, the building at 1309 Madison has been closed, boarded,
Thomas (left) and Tate (right) at Madison Square Shopping Mall
and used for storage by the current owner. However, that’s not the end of the story.
In March 2025, ICCF broke ground on a transformative new development at 1309 Madison and property across the street, 415 Adams, which together will bring 45 new affordable apartments to Southeast Grand Rapids. These new homes will not only provide safe, stable homes for local families, they will also carry forward the spirit of the community that has always existed at this address.
Prior to the groundbreaking, ICCF asked the neighborhood what this space needed, and in fall 2023,
invited community members to gather for an open house. The feedback from neighbors and area nonprofits was clear: this should be a place where neighbors continue to connect. With that priority in place, the new building at 1309 Madison was designed to include a community room, providing a new space where residents can cross paths with their neighbors and create thriving community. Across the street at 415 Adams, a new play space will provide a place for neighborhood children to gather and grow.
For many, the return of life and activity at 1309 Madison is deeply personal. The families who once
shopped at Food Town, worked at the daycare, or worshiped in the mosque will soon welcome new neighbors to this very same space. Locally owned and operated by ICCF Community Homes, the new apartments at 1309 Madison and 415 Adams will remain in the hands of the community, providing a testament to Frank Thomas and Wilson Tate’s legacy and a symbol of what’s possible when neighbors build together.
