Good Samaritan Ministries – Holland and Zeeland, MI – Judy Van Dyke

Good Samaritan Ministries partners with an RCA & CRC church to do community transformation in the core city of Holland, MI. Their site, the West Core Neighbors (WCN), is developing a deeper relationship with the neighborhood as they work together on things residents care about.

On a warm and sunny autumn day in October the WCN participated in a fall clean up. A community spirit was evident as 8 neighbors planned the project, Hope College provided the rakes, and New Community Fourth Church provided shopping carts to transport sticks collected for firewood. 24 students from the Phelps Scholar program at Hope College volunteered and worked with neighbors in their projects.

Students, neighbors, children and church members from New Community Fourth and Maple Avenue Ministries raked leaves side by side for over 70 homes in the core city of Holland. Assets were shared as the neighborhood garden was cleaned out, a shed was demolished, three years worth of dirty dishes were washed for an elderly neighbor, sticks were gathered and bundled for firewood and a neighbor’s dumpster was shared for all the neighborhood work. True community was experienced as people from various economic and ethnic backgrounds worked together for a common purpose.