In September 1902, a group of women from the Methodist Churches of the Grand Rapids District organized a club to do settlement work. They selected Irene Cummings, a Deaconess, to supervise the project. The place of operation was a store building on Ellsworth Avenue. The program included classes for kindergarten and early elementary children (all girls). By the second year, two evenings a week were devoted to a program for boys. As the project grew, Irene Cummings was succeeded by Bertha Clark with Nellie Shorter as an assistant. Classes were offered in Bible study, citizenship, cooking, sewing and handy-crafts. Already the program was beginning to meet the needs of ethnically-diverse people, among them several Syrian families.

After a decade of service, it was evident that here was a growing and deserving program that merited expansion. Property was purchased at 314 Wealthy Street. Individuals were chosen from several Methodist Churches to serve on a governing board. The name of the organization was changed to the Methodist Community House. As the project grew, financial support was obtained from the Woman’s House Missionary Society.

In the decades of the 1920s and 30s, more activities were included in Community House’s offerings, including Sunday school, religious services, and recreational and social events. A Boy Scout troop was also added. 

In 1936, the first day nursery (child care center) in Grand Rapids was opened at the Methodist Community House. Lela Powers was the first director. This program was soon expanded to offer services for 20 preschool children. During World War II, the staff was enlarged to include two full-time workers and a housekeeper. 

The newly organized Woman’s Society of Christian Service became the sponsor of Community House. Lela Powers continued as director, assisted by Katherine Strover and a number of volunteers. A new innovation in program was introduced by the Youth Commonwealth, an organization of the Grand Rapids Police Department, working with older boys in the area. 

Having served at the Community House for 15 years, Miss Powers was granted a sabbatical year for rest and study. Lillian Ellis was appointed director. Around this time, the fire department served notice that the building was about to be condemned as unsafe for children. It was estimated that $20,000 would be needed to refurbish the building. The nursery school was discontinued and other programs were moved to different locations. 

During the next five years, important decisions were made to sell the condemned property and relocate. A property at 904 Sheldon Ave SE was purchased, remodeled, and redecorated. Funds were also raised to build a nursery school unit. Construction was completed by December 1956.

Under Mrs. Lawrence (Bunny) Voss, the new director, a threefold program was developed, including a day care center, group work, and a counseling program.

Doris Degraff served as the next director with Mrs. Margaret White as program director. Under their leadership, programming continued to grow, offering school-aged children activities such as sewing, dancing, choir, wood working, Camp Fire Girls, games day, and nutrition classes in cooperation with Sheldon School. 

The first summer day camp program was offered for older children. Summer visitations, in cooperation with the Council of Churches, were also initiated. This provided opportunities for children from urban neighborhoods to stay with families who lived in rural areas and small towns.

Additional opportunities for participants included a thrift shop, where used clothing and household items were sold at a small cost. Family living classes for ADC mothers were held in cooperation with the Home Extension agent. Day care continued in two rooms, serving about 30 children.

During this time, the Board of Directors was re-organized under a new constitution and by-laws. The base of authority was broadened to include more people, with built-in checks and balances in the financial operation of the agency. The membership of the board was changed to include more neighborhood people, more non-Methodists, and more men, both laity and clergy.

Yearly evaluations between staff members and the Personnel Committee were instituted. An annual general meeting was held each spring. A Program Committee was also established to evaluate the services of Community House. Public relations efforts were expanded by the creation of a slide show which was used throughout the conference.

Helene Hill became director in 1966. A huge project during this time was the construction of a new building. This was comprised of an expansion of the existing day care center by twice and the addition of other facilities. The new facilities included a craft room and three basic group meeting rooms. A large meeting room was also included in the plans and quickly became used for a wide variety of purposes. Provision was also made for enlarged offices.

During the construction, Community House occupied rented facilities for a year at the school building related to Our Lady of Sorrows Church. While the building project was underway, programming continued to develop briskly. Students from nearby colleges and universities as well as Vista Volunteers were used. There were beginnings of community development efforts and a senior citizen program. Day care mothers saw the need for a summer program for preschoolers entering kindergarten. In response, Community House offered a six-week summer program, which ran for two years before the advent of the now famous Head Start program.

Older children also had summer opportunities in the form of a state licensed day camp, operating at one of the county parks. High school and college students were recruited as camp counselors, creating an inter-racial staff with a balance of neighborhood young people and outside volunteers.

The Toy Store was a development that grew out of the continuing needs in our very low-income community – the search for a dignified way in which to give material things. Volunteers from churches of the city were used to operating the store. Neighborhood families, whose children were a part of the Community House program, were invited in at Christmas time to choose, at no cost, gifts for their children. Each got an article of clothing and a toy.

Another first was the purchase of a station wagon with trading stamps! One of the groups that used this vehicle often was a group of girls who sang for the “Methodist” (as Community House began to be called.) The “Community Singers” filled many engagements both in and out of the city, helping greatly in raising funds for the new building and in making Community House widely known.

Refinements in the changes begun on the Board of Directors were also made. The Board became a combination of one-third Methodists, one-third neighborhood people (within geographical limits of the service area,) and one-third individuals from the community at-large. The latter category enabled Community House to become a channel to the city of which it is a part.

In 1972, Robin E. Velte became the Executive Director of United Methodist Community House. Beginning at this time, the United Methodist Community House became increasingly involved in federal funding.

Childcare Continues as a Premier Program
This long term, ongoing program was probably best known in our community. The focus was to provide affordable, quality childcare for working poor families. The quality of the care provided was exceptional, with small group size and low teacher to child ratios, usually 1:6, far exceeding licensing standards. Marian Anderberg, long time Childcare Director, retired in the mid-1970s. Over the next 20 years, several different directors brought their different skills and talents into the Community House Childcare Program.

School-Aged Children and Youth
Over the years, staffing for the youth director was hired to coordinate all youth activities, as well as provide direct service to youth. This focused attention had a major, positive impact on the program. In 1979, the first, full-time youth director was hired to coordinate all youth activities, as well as provide direct service to youth. This focused attention had a major, positive impact on the program.

First in Providing Meals to Seniors
In 1972, Community House began serving meals to seniors at the center. Created in response to the needs of our immediate neighborhood, this program was the first of its kind in Grand Rapids. Initially, the emphasis was on serving as many as 120 daily, hot noon meals at “The Methodist.” Between 20-30 meals a day were also delivered to homebound individuals. In 1979, service at the Center was extended to include breakfast for approximately 25 of the neediest seniors.

The Senior Meals Program was launched with private funds before government funding became available. In 1975, with the Older Americans Act, the UMCH Senior Meal Program became part of the federal network of senior citizen meals programs. Early in the program, Peggy Burns became the Senior Program Director and was very important in the development of this and other senior programs. She continued with Community House for 13 years.

Two vans were purchased in 1973 and 1976 to meet the expanding need for transportation connected with UMCH programming.

In 1975, the Senior Choir was organized, providing an avenue for the participants to share their heartfelt, lively gospel music with our extended community.

1978 saw the expansion of health and advocate services. An eye clinic was begun at UMCH twice a week. In addition, a visiting nurse program started twice a month for individual health screening, consultation, referral, and follow-ups. Other services included casework services to help with personal problems and concerns.

General offerings to seniors expanded to include adult basic education classes and leisure time classes of ceramics, painting, sewing, etc., as well as field trips, picnics, color tours, movies, dinner out and other fun, social activities.

During this decade, UMCH services to seniors expanded to include about 400 of our elderly neighbors.

Leadership in Neighborhood Development
Vivian Lewis, Program Director, guided a renewed focus on community organization.

Two VISTA workers spent over a year surveying the neighborhood and identifying developing program needs. Federal funds also provided Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) staff.

The Community Ombudsman Program, begun through the Fund of Reconciliation of the United Methodist Church, received two years of funding from the federal Model Cities program.

Community House’s goal was to help create viable neighborhood organizations that would ultimately become independent from UMCH. Twenty-two block clubs were organized and provided staff assistance. In 1979, the elimination of three of the four CETA workers greatly curtailed Community House’s work with the blocks.

In 1976, Conference United Methodist Women purchased an adjoining property for future expansion.

Childcare Hit Hard by Recession
1980-1981 were recession years with very high unemployment and many federal budget cuts, which hurt local programs for the poor. UMCH lost all of its CETA staff. At the same time, the number of people who needed childcare for their children decreased due to unemployment. At the lowest time, only 30 children were in the childcare center. It was very difficult for UMCH financially. The United Methodist Women and the United Methodist Church helped UMCH weather the recession times.

Curriculum during this time developed into a more child-directed than teacher-directed program. This enriched opportunities to develop intellectual, emotional, social and physical growth. Exposure to different cultures was also enhanced, with an emphasis on African American heritage, because the majority of the children were African American.

United Methodist Community House was very active as an advocate for child development issues and concerns. The agency collaborated actively with Kent County Coordinated Childcare (4C). Also through 4C, Community House Child Care staff participated in many and varied training courses, thereby substantially enriching the quality of the staff and the service provided.

Youth Program Makes Dramatic Gains
In 1980, the Pink Panthers Lawn Service was formed to provide opportunities for youth to learn positive work habits and life skills. They also earned money for field trips and group activities. In some years, substantial trips were taken to such places as Washington DC, Atlanta, and Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Many of the youth had never been out of the Grand Rapids area before. The lawn service became an important, long-term program.

The Leadership Program, a premier, long term youth program, began in 1983 through a grant from the United Methodist National Youth Ministry organization. Designed for older youth, the focus was on improving communication skills, self-image, problem solving and team building abilities. Youth attending regularly also got “mini jobs” which provided them a small stipend for volunteer work.

The youth education program began in 1985 with the hiring of a professional educator as its director. Norma Golden joined the staff for 11 years to create a program rich in reading, language arts, math, science, tutoring, caring and fun! This addition to youth offerings represented a significant emphasis important to UMCH purpose and philosophy. It was based on the conscious decision that Community House needed to support basic education skills if the agency truly cared about the future of the youth served.

Eastminster Presbyterian Church generously invited 45 Community House children into their Camp Scott E for five days, providing a wonderful opportunity for bonding and fun in a beautiful, natural setting. This kindness was repeated for several years.

In 1987, the Junior League and United Way provided funding for four Apple Computers to enhance the education center. These were the first computers in the agency used by program participants.

In 1985, the Board of Directors made the difficult decision to use all the remaining CETA workers in the youth program, reassigning all away from the neighborhood development program activities.

Neighborhood Activities
From 1981 through 1984, workshops were conducted to train residents to make simple house repairs themselves. Funds were available on a matching basis.

During this same period, there was an “energy crisis.” UMCH held informational meetings about conserving energy.

UMCH Wins Humanitarian Award
In 1987, United Methodist Community House in a partnership with three other agencies won the United Way’s Humanitarian Award for the Collaborative Counseling Project.

Funding and Expansion
The first annual fund campaign, Friends of United Methodist Community House, was launched in 1982 as the beginning of an ongoing effort. The first year, 140 friends donated $8,568.

Building overcrowding and expansion needs continued to be a problem. Several small parcels of land adjoining the building were purchased by the West Michigan Conference United Methodist Women for the future. As plans for a new building evolved, it was necessary to plan within the limited land available.

The Board of Directors approved a feasibility study for a major building renovation and expansion in 1988. In 1989, a $2.6 million capital campaign was approved.

In the spring of 1990, the $2.6 million “Touch a Future” Capital Campaign was officially launched. A wide range of donors from major foundations and corporations to the United Methodist Church to program participants made the campaign a success. Lois Mosely and Brent Slay were co-chairs.

UMCH celebrated a public groundbreaking in May 1991. All programs continued but spread out at different locations. Only the Childcare Center remained at the 904 Sheldon location, moving to different parts of the building as construction progressed.

As sections of the building were completed, parts of our UMCH family moved into their new facilities. By the summer of 1992, all program areas and administration were back home in our new building. Childcare had increased their capacity from 60 children to over 100.

Coinciding with our 90^th year, the official building dedication took place on October 8^th, 1992. United Methodist Bishop Donald Ott, US Congressman Paul Henry and many others joined the celebration. The new building was approximately 30,000 sq ft., an increase of about 18,000 sq. ft. Many individuals deserve tremendous thanks for their selfless efforts in this endeavor.

The “Touch a Future” Campaign was officially completed in February of 1996 with a closing figure of $2.6 million.

Former UMCH Participant Becomes Childcare Director
In 1990, at the beginning of these exciting years, Anita Christopher, a former youth participant and Childcare teacher, was called back to UMCH as Childcare Director. Under Anita’s direction, quality programming continued, and involvement of parents was increased, including regular parent and family activities.

The Childcare Center received the Kent County Regional Coordinated Childcare Recognition Award for excellence. Community House was recognized both for excellence in programming and for length of service to the childcare needs of the community.

Computers were added to the childcare rooms in 1993, through a gift from Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities of Outstate Michigan.

In September 1997, Community House stepped outside its comfort zone, both geographically and culturally, opening before and after school childcare at Hall School for predominately Hispanic children in grades K-6. This was in response to needs in the Hispanic community. Community House maintained a three-year commitment, after which time, Hispanic families were familiar with and wiling to use UMCH childcare services at our main location.

Youth Program Developed an Emphasis on Science
Project MAST (Math and Science Teams) was a special project funded from 1991 through grants from Smiths Industries-Aerospace and Defense Systems via United Way. Project MAST encouraged “at risk” youth to pursue studies in math and science. An annual Science Fair where children demonstrated their science projects was a very successful event.

The youth program was expanded into evenings, serving more youth, through City of Grand Rapids Community Development Block Grant funds. This assistance was present from 1993 through 1997.

Leadership youth were invaluable in providing office help for numerous mailings during the 1990-1993 Capital Campaign.

Emphasis in Senior Program Shifts
At the outset of the senior program, the agency served over a hundred elderly neighbors meals at the Center and delivered 20 to 30 meals to homebound individuals. By the 1990s, these populations had reversed in numbers. It is believed, in part, that the reason for this change was due to people living longer and more healthy older lives. When health did deteriorate, there was then the need for home delivered meals for the frailer elderly.

A country-wide senior millage passed in 1998 enabled UMCH to plan for expanded transportation and outreach services, when funds became available in 2002.

Additional Important Events
In 1991, the United Methodist Women launched an ongoing collection of aluminum pop tabs for the benefit of Community House. Tabs were collected throughout the West Michigan Conference, cleaned and sold as scrap at a price ranging from 26 to 55 cents per pound. Pat and Darrell Proctor took charge of this project into 2001, generating thousands of dollars for the Community House.

Land parcels across the street became available in 1993 and were purchased for parking lots.

Laura B. Moody became the first former UMCH participant to be elected President of the Board of Directors in 1994.

Also in 1994, the first annual golf scramble was held at Railside Golf course, raising $10,760. This event continued through the year 2000.

After over 22 years of service, Robin E. Velte retired as executive director of Community House. Johanna Sizick became the new executive director.

Three record breaking donations were received in 1995, 1997, and 2000. These donations were the basis for a developing endowment fund for future needs.

Major Shift in Funding Source Focus
In the late 1990s, funding source focus on strict outcome-based allocations became the rule, drastically changing the method of operations for nonprofit human service agencies across the nation. In general, the responsibility for reorienting service systems and thinking, plus creating a way that satisfied the new requirements fell heavily on the service agencies themselves. The impact of this shift had on United Methodist Community House cannot be underestimated.

Suddenly, it was not enough to be good people doing good work. It was not how many meals were served to seniors or how many children received quality day care. Statistical measurement of how these services impacted the lives of individuals was what was required. Further, in 1998, a coalition of community leaders articulated community-wide goals as a focused response to prioritize needs. Redundancy of services was strongly discouraged. Local community funding began to target these priority issues.

This transition required a complete rethinking of operation. Huge amounts of staff time and money were thrown into redefining agency purpose and reporting outcomes statistically.

In January 2000, in the major effort to responsibly recreate the agency to meet huge societal shifts, the UMCH Board of Directors developed a strategic plan for agency implementation. A renewed statement of mission read, “increasing the ability of children, youth, families and adults to succeed in a diverse community.”

Immediate action was forthcoming. In February and March, business plans for childcare, youth, senior and administrative areas were created. To support a unified agency focus, a new program director position was instituted to oversee the three areas of services. Anita Christopher was promoted into this position.

The United Methodist Community House began getting increased competition in the areas of after school programming and childcare services due to broadening use of Federal funding and expanding programs by other organizations, notably public education.

Childcare was again the stage for creation of innovative new programs. In fall of 2001, a full-day, full-year Head Start classroom was designated. In addition, the Kindergarten Enrichment Wrap-Around (KEW) Program was established in collaboration with Grand Rapids Public Schools. With services targeting 23 schools, this half-day program and transportation package were offered to kindergarten students at no cost to their parents. In its second year, the program was doubled.

Clark Retirement Community and Community House partnered to enhance our health options for seniors, adding bi-monthly podiatry services and twice-weekly hydrotherapy.

UMCH purchased a new 15-passenger, handicap accessible mini-bus.

In October 2001, Johanna Sizick stepped down and Anita Christopher became interim executive director.

In its centennial year, 2002, the Board is planning a formal endowment fund to secure the services of United Methodist Community House for future generations.

Into Our Second Century

Funding is not as stable or long term as it once was. Agency income is largely based on short term programs with built-in outcomes measurement standards and procedures. Partnerships have become key to longer term funding. We are actively partnering with organizations like Head Start, the Grand Rapids Housing Commission, the Grand Rapids Public Schools and others. Ongoing development of viable partnerships is a major focus.

Our building itself has become a resource for income. Other organizations working in line with our mission are renting space in our building for short- and long-term use. One example, in partnering with the Grand Rapids Public Schools, is the GED course which graduates around 40 individuals every year.

United Methodist Community House has embraced change, moving from a cozy, “mom and pop” agency to cutting edge concepts in community service. Innovation, creativity, and flexibility are the keynotes as we cast our nets wider than ever before.