Brave Space is one of four nonprofit organizations to receive grants from the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area to increase access to mental health support services. Brave Space’s grant will help the organization expand its nine-week program that uses creative writing and expressive arts to help middle and high school students build coping skills and resilience.
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
The Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area has awarded a total of $164,000 to four nonprofit organizations to help increase access to mental health care.
Latin Americans United For Progress (LAUP) was awarded $60,000 over two years, the Children’s Advocacy Center received $44,000 over two years, and Brave Space and Resilience: Advocates For Ending Violence each received $30,000 from CFHZ.
“The grant proposals we received in this round were submitted by a variety of nonprofit organizations, all of whom are realizing and reacting to the ways that mental health impacts the populations they serve. Their proposals placed an emphasis on prevention, early intervention, and community-based supports,” CFHS director of community impact Yadah Ramirez said. “We are honored to partner with these organizations in creating a community where all can thrive.”
Increasing access to mental health resources has emerged as a top priority in the Holland-Zeeland area, based on local needs assessment data and input from nonprofit partners.
According to the most recent Ottawa County Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), 34.5 percent of adults in the county are considered to have mild to severe psychological distress, almost twice the rate (19.8 percent) it was in 2020.
Among Ottawa County youth, rates of depression also increased, Ramirez said.
The grant to LAUP will support a full-time licensed master’s degree social worker, who will play an integral role in the organization’s new Bridging Mental Health, Building Equity initiative.
The program addresses barriers to accessing mental health care for immigrant and low-income residents through a network of bilingual clinicians and community health workers. The licensed master’s social worker will coordinate among six partner nonprofit organizations to reduce waitlists and fast-track mental health care.
"This funding will help ensure families receive care rooted in dignity, trust, and cultural understanding, regardless of insurance status,” said Maria Morales, LAUP’s senior director of workforce and strategic impact. “Through standardized mental health screenings and warm hand-offs to on-site therapy and counseling, paired with targeted support for critical social determinants of health - housing stability, reliable transportation, and benefits navigation - we will transform lives, build resilience, and drive lasting health equity across our community.”
The Children’s Advocacy Center grant will be used to expand access to trauma-informed counseling for children and families. It will help CAC add 180 counseling sessions annually in response to a 25 percent increase in demand for services supporting child sexual abuse survivors.
The CAC currently provides more than 200 therapy sessions monthly using evidence-based trauma treatment methods but has reached capacity limits that create wait times for families needing care. The expansion will help ensure children receive timely specialized therapy through the center's existing network of clinicians, advocates, and law enforcement partners.
“When a child discloses sexual abuse, everything in their world changes,” CAC executive director Rachael DeWitt said. “With this grant, children are able to receive skilled, compassionate care at the very moment they need it most, expanding our community’s capacity to help them feel safe and begin their healing journey. Its impact extends far beyond today - for the child, for their family, and for the long-term strength and well-being of our community.”
Brave Space’s grant will help expand its nine-week program that uses creative writing and expressive arts to help local middle and high school students build coping skills and resilience.
The program is designed to help youth who are struggling with emotional regulation, identity, or belonging, and serves students directly through small cohorts, including a dedicated summer session for LGBTQ+ youth. It will also distribute guided journals to 1,000 additional students.
“This support allows us to expand programming that meets students where they are- centering their voices and experiences, while offering a proactive and creative approach to mental health,” Brave Space founder Alexis Rosado said. “Because of this funding, we can reach students that previously did not have access to these resources and create free brave spaces where young people feel heard, valued, and empowered to imagine healthier futures for themselves and their communities.”
The grant for Resilience will be used to expand the organization’s trauma therapy options for children who have witnessed domestic violence and their caregivers. Through a partnership with Renew Therapeutic Riding Center, the equine-assisted therapy program will serve approximately 100 families. It combines traditional trauma-focused therapy with guided horse interactions designed to build trust, emotional safety, and healing.
“We are excited to be able to offer equine-assisted services for children and their families.” Said Krystal Diel, Resilience’s director of survivor services. “Children who have witnessed domestic violence will be able to work with horses to regulate their emotions and practice coping skills. We are thrilled to be able to offer this avenue for healing.”
For more information about grantmaking, visit cfhz.org/nonprofits.
Zeeland Record
The Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area has awarded a total of $164,000 to four nonprofit organizations to help increase access to mental health care.
Latin Americans United For Progress (LAUP) was awarded $60,000 over two years, the Children’s Advocacy Center received $44,000 over two years, and Brave Space and Resilience: Advocates For Ending Violence each received $30,000 from CFHZ.
“The grant proposals we received in this round were submitted by a variety of nonprofit organizations, all of whom are realizing and reacting to the ways that mental health impacts the populations they serve. Their proposals placed an emphasis on prevention, early intervention, and community-based supports,” CFHS director of community impact Yadah Ramirez said. “We are honored to partner with these organizations in creating a community where all can thrive.”
Increasing access to mental health resources has emerged as a top priority in the Holland-Zeeland area, based on local needs assessment data and input from nonprofit partners.
According to the most recent Ottawa County Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), 34.5 percent of adults in the county are considered to have mild to severe psychological distress, almost twice the rate (19.8 percent) it was in 2020.
Among Ottawa County youth, rates of depression also increased, Ramirez said.
The grant to LAUP will support a full-time licensed master’s degree social worker, who will play an integral role in the organization’s new Bridging Mental Health, Building Equity initiative.
The program addresses barriers to accessing mental health care for immigrant and low-income residents through a network of bilingual clinicians and community health workers. The licensed master’s social worker will coordinate among six partner nonprofit organizations to reduce waitlists and fast-track mental health care.
"This funding will help ensure families receive care rooted in dignity, trust, and cultural understanding, regardless of insurance status,” said Maria Morales, LAUP’s senior director of workforce and strategic impact. “Through standardized mental health screenings and warm hand-offs to on-site therapy and counseling, paired with targeted support for critical social determinants of health - housing stability, reliable transportation, and benefits navigation - we will transform lives, build resilience, and drive lasting health equity across our community.”
The Children’s Advocacy Center grant will be used to expand access to trauma-informed counseling for children and families. It will help CAC add 180 counseling sessions annually in response to a 25 percent increase in demand for services supporting child sexual abuse survivors.
The CAC currently provides more than 200 therapy sessions monthly using evidence-based trauma treatment methods but has reached capacity limits that create wait times for families needing care. The expansion will help ensure children receive timely specialized therapy through the center's existing network of clinicians, advocates, and law enforcement partners.
“When a child discloses sexual abuse, everything in their world changes,” CAC executive director Rachael DeWitt said. “With this grant, children are able to receive skilled, compassionate care at the very moment they need it most, expanding our community’s capacity to help them feel safe and begin their healing journey. Its impact extends far beyond today - for the child, for their family, and for the long-term strength and well-being of our community.”
Brave Space’s grant will help expand its nine-week program that uses creative writing and expressive arts to help local middle and high school students build coping skills and resilience.
The program is designed to help youth who are struggling with emotional regulation, identity, or belonging, and serves students directly through small cohorts, including a dedicated summer session for LGBTQ+ youth. It will also distribute guided journals to 1,000 additional students.
“This support allows us to expand programming that meets students where they are- centering their voices and experiences, while offering a proactive and creative approach to mental health,” Brave Space founder Alexis Rosado said. “Because of this funding, we can reach students that previously did not have access to these resources and create free brave spaces where young people feel heard, valued, and empowered to imagine healthier futures for themselves and their communities.”
The grant for Resilience will be used to expand the organization’s trauma therapy options for children who have witnessed domestic violence and their caregivers. Through a partnership with Renew Therapeutic Riding Center, the equine-assisted therapy program will serve approximately 100 families. It combines traditional trauma-focused therapy with guided horse interactions designed to build trust, emotional safety, and healing.
“We are excited to be able to offer equine-assisted services for children and their families.” Said Krystal Diel, Resilience’s director of survivor services. “Children who have witnessed domestic violence will be able to work with horses to regulate their emotions and practice coping skills. We are thrilled to be able to offer this avenue for healing.”
For more information about grantmaking, visit cfhz.org/nonprofits.
