HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — Six people and two programs have been recognized by Holland Human Relations Commission for outstanding service in education, community relations, housing, youth involvement. The honorees:
Lifetime Achievement: Holland resident Lupita Reyes, for her many contributions to the Holland community. IN 1965, Reyes created and hosted Alegria Latina, Holland’s first all-Spanish language radio show which continues airing Sunday evenings on 92.7 The Van. Reyes was also pivotal in creating Holland Community Health, which now provides healthcare to more than 10,000 uninsured patients. As part of HCH, she was instrumental in recruiting some of the first Hispanic physicians to the City of Holland.
Reyes helped establish Community Action House in 1969, which works to meet the basic human needs in our community and advocate for migrant workers. She founded Latin Americans United for Progress (LAUP), which hosts the popular Latina Fiesta each May, offers ESL and GED classes, and assists with language interpretation requests.
Reyes currently serves as a counsellor at LAR Counselling, which she also founded.
“With her passion and perseverance, Lupita has dedicated her life to being a voice and leader for the Hispanic community in Holland and proactively closing the human services gap for the underserved,”said Vicki-Lynn Holmes, Human Relations Commission Chairwoman.
Education: Escape Ministries’ Alternative Suspension Accountability Program (ASAP), for their work helping suspended and expelled students, a group disproportionately represented by students of color.
ASAP provides such students with a safe and nourishing environment, helps them keep up with their curriculum so that they can get back into their original schools, and pushes them to graduate.“This past year, under the leadership of Pastor Willie Watts and the dedication of mentors like KristinaSage, the ASAP program has helped more than 60 kids return to school in a better place academically,emotionally, and relationally,” said Holmes.
Angela Maxwell and First United Methodist Church jointly received the Community Relations Award for Housing. Earlier in 2019, Maxwell, Homeless Outreach Specialist at Community Action House, developed and launched a program with community partners at the First United Methodist Church.
Refresh: Hygiene and Hope is a shower, mail, and resource connection program that was designedbased on requests from houseless clients and has become a focal point of community for this marginalized population, as well as a place where relationships can drive connections to mainstreamservices.“Again and again, the individuals we’re connecting with share the value and difficulty of maintaininghygiene,” said Maxwell.
“The need for showers exists. We’re looking forward to building trust in this service for those that will most benefit from it. The reality is that no one wants to feel badly about their appearance or condition, and through this program, that reality can begin to change for the better.”
The Social Justice Award for Community Relations went to Yah-Hanna Jenkins Leys. In her prior role as Director of the Faith in Youth Program at Good Samaritan Ministries, Jenkins Leys recruited, trained, and supported AmeriCorps members who mentor at-risk youth in our community.
Jenkins Leys currently serves as the interim Executive Director of Lighthouse Immigrant Advocates and also serves on the board of the Lakeshore Nonprofit Alliance. She is the cofounder of Women of Color GIVE, a philanthropy circle helping change the charitable giving landscape by adding more diverse voices to the philanthropy narrative.
“Yah-Hanna’s professional and volunteer work serves diverse communities, promotes and empowers people of color and marginalized communities, and touches all spheres from non-profit, to government, to private sector circles,” Holmes said.
The Holland Youth Advisory Council (HYAC) presented the Youth Social Justice Award to Hannah Huggett. Currently a ninth grade student at Black River High School, Huggett started her community service in the sixth grade as a member of the Black River “Green Team.”
Working with the Black River School board and Republic Services, she was instrumental in organizing a new trash and composting program at her school. Huggett also took the initiative to organize the recycling efforts at the Tulip Time run last spring which diverted 434 pounds of recyclable materials from the local landfill.
Huggett organized the 2019 Holland Climate Rally and addressed gun violence at the 2018 March for our Lives Rally. She also participated as a panel member for the Interfaith Gun Violence Reduction Symposium in Saugatuck.
