North Kent Connect is a Christian organization committed to improving the lives of all people in northern Kent County by providing access to basic needs and promoting economic independence.
Get Ready to Tee Off for a Good Cause!
We're excited to announce that tickets are now on sale for our Annual Charity Golf Outing! Join us in July at the beautiful @blythefieldcountryclub for a day of golf, fun, and fundraising. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just looking for a fun day out, this event is perfect for everyone!
Event Details:
• Date: July 1
• Time: 11:30 am Registration – 12:30 Tee Time
• Location: @blythefieldcountryclub
Your participation will help us raise funds so North Kent Connect can help meet basic needs, making a real difference in our community. Enjoy a great day of golf, prizes, food, and the chance to win some amazing raffle items.
Attainable housing is a critical concern in northern Kent County. NKC works with other nonprofits, like Habitat for Humanity of Kent County, as well as churches, civic organizations, businesses, the county, foundations, and individuals to find solutions. We'd love to give you a tour and share more about what we're doing!
#attainablehousing
We have some bittersweet news to share with you. After 11 years as executive director, Claire Guisfredi is announcing her retirement from North Kent Connect.
Claire took the helm as executive director in 2013 with five employees and less than a $400,000 annual budget. Under her leadership, NKC has become a comprehensive resource center in northern Kent County, with 19 employees and a $1.4 million budget. Motivated by a former client's words, "You gave me food, but what I needed was a way out of poverty," Guisfredi realigned the organization's mission from providing handouts to offering a hand up. She hired social workers, established on-site partnerships, opened a thrift store for affordable goods, and led a successful $3.5 million capital campaign to expand NKC’s services.
“NKC is in a great position to continue making strides in three key areas: attainable housing, reliable transportation, and the availability of fresh, healthy food,” said Claire. “I’m excited to watch as the talented and hardworking staff and board blaze new trails to help even more people in northern Kent County.”
“Claire has served NKC with tremendous commitment and dedication,” said Cheryl Scales, NKC Board President. “She has been at the forefront of many connections, projects, and initiatives in northern Kent County, all with her trademark enthusiasm and go-getter spirit! We are sad to see Claire go, but grateful for the leadership she has shown over the years.”
Lisa Cooper, vice president of the NKC Board and chair of the search committee, noted, “We have a solid plan and dedicated team to secure the right executive director and ensure a smooth transition of leadership. We are grateful to Claire for all that she has done and for her dedication to making sure NKC continues to thrive.”
Claire will be around until the end of October, so please stop in to see her! We will be posting the executive director position later this spring.
We are thrilled to share that NKC is receiving $24,400 in Meijer gift cards to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and cheeses for our client pantry from the Meijer Simply Give campaign that ran from October through December 2023. This is one of the biggest donations from the Simply Give program that we've received. Thank you!
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to anyone who purchased a Simply Give card from the Rockford Meijer store, and to Meijer for providing this critical program to food pantries across the country.
To give you an idea of the importance of Simply Give, it takes about $8,000 a month to fill our pantry with enough fresh, nutritious food to support 400 households.
Thank you for giving healthy options to families in need! ❤
#SimplyGive#MeijerCommunity#foodpantry
What an incredible morning! JustServe delivered 18 pallets of food to our facility this week and today we happily shared it with other local pantries. It was a truly heartwarming experience knowing we're all in this together. The food will undoubtedly help sustain many people throughout the winter months.
Thank you to these pantries for bringing crews of smiling helpers: Family Promise West Michigan, The Green Apple Pantry, Flat River Outreach Ministries, United Church Outreach Ministry (UCOM), North End Community Ministry, The Other Way Ministries, and St Mary's Grand Rapids.
#foodpantries#foodcommunity ##foodinsecurity#community#fighthunger
This friendly face you have likely seen all over town is Scott Christie, Director of Donor Engagement for North Kent Connect. Tonight he was awarded "Networker of the Year" by the Rockford Chamber.
Scott has a big heart for this community and everyone in it.
Congratulations, Scott!
In case you missed it, Adventure Credit Union was featured on WOOD TV8's eightWest program today! In the segment, we're joined by Scott from North Kent Connect to talk about how our two organizations are making a difference in the community. Watch the segment: https://lnkd.in/g8NGgapd
The Meijer Simply Give program is fundamental to many food pantries, providing us with fresh fruits, vegetables, and even baby formula. Pantries are supported by their local Meijer stores. For NKC, that's the store in Rockford, Michigan. Double Match days are even more important as every $10 Simply Give card you purchase becomes $30!
If you're interested in helping your local food pantry, this Saturday, December 16, is Double Match Day. Here's how it works:
1. Pick up a Simply Give card (available at each register and self-checkout lane).
2. Scan a Simply Give card like you would any other product (there's a barcode on it), or give it to the cashier. Each swipe is $10, and you may scan the card as many times as you like.
3. Meijer will give each pantry food-only gift cards to purchase the following items for our pantry: fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and cheese, as well as infant formula and baby food.
Visit https://lnkd.in/duNfFd5 for more information.
