2 minute read
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT - Jenna Vermeer
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Jenna ‘Jongekrijg’ Vermeer’s educational journey is a familiar one in the Holland/Zeeland area. She attended Zeeland Christian School for preschool - 8th grade (Class of ‘08), Holland Christian for high school, and then graduated from Calvin with a degree in Elementary Education. From there, she started teaching 1st-grade at Byron Center Christian School, but every year she would pray and ask God if that’s the direction he wanted for her life. After three years, she felt a call to something very different.
Jenna felt a calling to work amongst a diverse mix of people, and this led her to Dégagé Ministries in Grand Rapids. Dégagé “offers help and hope to homeless and disadvantaged individuals in our community.” They have a dining room where people can buy affordable meals, and they offer access to washing machines and dryers, showers, and an ID office where people can get their birth certificates, licenses, and mail.
The position Jenna applied for and now has at Dégagé is Business Coordinator for Pauls’ Moms’ Cookies. Pauls’ Moms’ Cookies is a small business run by Dégagé as a way to provide funding for their The Open Door Women’s Center ministry where women in crisis can find shelter and assistance. The cookie company also employs women who have graduated from The Open Door Women’s Center program.
“I have been learning what empowering someone really means,” said Jenna. “It’s so much more than a paycheck for these women. It’s a community to be a part of. Four different stores are now carrying our cookies, and people can place individual orders on our website, paulsmomscookies.org.” Then Jenna lightheartedly said, “I hope it’s okay if I do a shameless plug.”
Jenna attributes her family’s experience in the restaurant industry with her interest in this role. Her dad, Harley Jongekrijg, has owned several restaurants, including Wooden Shoe in Holland, and The Farmhouse in Zeeland. “Ordering cookies is the best way people can support and partner with the work happening at Dégagé and Pauls’ Moms’ Cookies. The Lemon Cherry cookie is my favorite.”
“My heart has grown for people with less opportunity. I have learned about homelessness and its causes. It’s not all bad choices. A woman I know broke her ankle, had no insurance, and then, because she couldn’t work, lost her apartment.”
When asked what role Christian education played in her love for helping people, Jenna responded, “Christian education built an extra firm foundation. My family and church were a part of that as well. But you don’t realize how something you are a part of everyday is slowly changing you over time until you’re old enough to look back on it.”
“Being at ZCS created a missional heart in me. I grew up with inclusive education, which helped me not be afraid of people who are different from me, grew my compassion for others, and created more of a servant’s heart - which has led to me experiencing the joy that comes from living like that.”
“I feel so fortunate to have the educational experiences I have had. As a kid, you don’t realize how fortunate you are.”
