Spring 2025 Blueprints

Fall 2022 Spring 2025

Community Roots and Thriving Neighborhoods THE SPIRIT OF BELONGING AT 1309 MADISON

IN THIS ISSUE: A Message from our CEO Run for Home ICCF Homes & Hope Legacy Trolley Tour and Lunch 2024 Houses to Homes Gala 2025 The Impact of You: Ebenezer Award Winners

ICCF COMMUNITY HOMES BOARD OF DIRECTORS

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO

Cameron Young, Chair Behler-Young Company

Dear friends,

Eunice Lopez-Martin, Vice-Chair Steelcase 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

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 Ogle Blue House Properties Rick Treur Grand Rapids Chamber

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.

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Blueprints • Spring 2025

Make a difference on Race Day when you: •

Participate – 25k, 10k, 5k walk or run on May 10, 2025 •

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.

Homes & Hope Legacy Trolley Tour and Lunch 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,

ICCF Community Homes

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.

•

Volunteer – visit amwayriverbankrun.com/ volunteer

Share this with a runner you know!

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

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”.

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ICCF COMMUNITY HOMES

Houses to Homes Gala 2025

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.

“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

I M PA C T O F YO U

Encounter Church

Ebenezer Awards

D O I N G G O O D : 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.

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.

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Mick McGraw H O M E S TO DAY & TO M O R ROW: 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. L A S T I N G V O LU N T E E R I M PA C T: 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.

Blueprints • Spring 2025

Mick McGraw

Encounter Church

Mortgage 1 Inc.

Thank You, Sponsors!

GRAND SPONSORS

BENEFACTOR SPONSORS

CHAMPION SPONSORS

Dave & Barb Huyser The R. VerWys Family Ministries

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

ICCF Community Homes

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

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

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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,

Thomas (left) and Tate (right) at Madison Square Shopping Mall

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,

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Blueprints • Spring 2025

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.

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.

Prior to the groundbreaking, ICCF asked the neighborhood what this space needed, and in fall 2023,

For many, the return of life and activity at 1309 Madison is deeply personal. The families who once

ICCF Community Homes

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.

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415 Martin Luther King Jr. St. SE, Suite 100 Grand Rapids, MI 49507

Together, It’s Possible Our team’s dedication and strong partnerships like yours are the driving force behind advancing housing equity. Thank you!

Equitable opportunity. Affordable homes. Thriving neighborhoods.

616.336.9333 | iccf.org