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Shop for a cause! Downtown Zeeland partners with United Way this holiday season.

 In a venture called “cause marketing” downtown Zeeland is partnering with Greater Ottawa County United Way this holiday season to host FEEL THE ZEEL OF GIVING, a holiday celebration for the whole community.   Cause Marketing is when for-profit entities partner with nonprofit organizations to promote a single event. The participating businesses agree to give a donation to the nonprofit organization and in exchange the nonprofit commits to marketing the event to their group of supporters to increase attendance at the event.  In this case, the more people who come out to shop downtown Zeeland during the holiday events, the bigger the donation will be for the United Way.  So come on out during the FEEL THE ZEEL OF GIVING EVENTS and shop for a cause!

FEEL THE ZEEL OF GIVING is a way for the local, downtown businesses to differentiate themselves from the malls this holiday season.  Downtown Zeeland is hosting a variety of free events for the whole family, and the emphasis is on giving back to your community.  FEEL THE ZEEL OF GIVING will take place downtown Zeeland Thursday & Friday evenings in December before Christmas Eve.  (December 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 & 18)  Activities are scheduled from 5-8pm. 

Come on down during FEEL THE ZEEL OF GIVING and you will find horse-drawn trolley rides, free photos with Santa, strolling Christmas carolers, a free gift wrapping station, extended holiday shopping hours, and more!  With 9 brand new businesses on Main Street since last year’s holiday season, you are sure to find something for everyone on your Christmas list this year!

Downtown businesses that will be participating in FEEL THE ZEEL OF GIVING include:

Don’s Flowers & Gifts, Mainstreet Beanery, Bella Donna Boutique, Clothes Junkie, My Favorite Dish & Gifts, Mom & Baby Again, Bunte’s Pharmacy & Gift Store, Eco Reef, Brummel’s Home Furnishings, Harbor Toy Company, Zeeland Hardware, Dekker’s Jewelry, Frank’s Restaurant, Silva & Son Gems & Jewelry, Jumees World, On Silver Shores, Mainstreet Sweets.

Greater Ottawa County United Way is helping the citizens of Ottawa County to create the building blocks of a better life for all.  The United Way focuses on programs that advance the common good in the impact areas of Education, Financial Stability, Health, and Emergency Assistance & Basic Human Needs.  The United Way community investment fund is a strong partnership of 63 programs of 38 nonprofit health and human service agencies that last year touched the lives of more than one in four people in Ottawa County.

Community partner programs located in Zeeland that receive United Way community investment dollars include:

Child Development Services, 100 Pine St. – child care tuition assistance for low income families

His Harvest Stand, 100 Pine St.- Food Pantry and Home Repair Ministry

Zee Bus, 3390 100^th Ave – a mobile library that travels the Zeeland school district during the summer, providing students access to quality reading materials

These programs served 2,139 individuals and families in Zeeland.  Another 30 programs located in Ottawa County had an impact on the lives of nearly 3,500 more Zeeland residents. These included youth development programs of Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, transitional housing assistance through the Community Housing Partnership of Good Samaritan Ministries, American Red Cross emergency preparedness programs, blindness and low vision rehabilitation services through the Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired, domestic violence and child sexual abuse intervention, emergency assistance through Salvation Army of Holland, substance abuse counseling and prevention, and many more.

Downtown sponsors for the FEEL THE ZEEL OF GIVING events include:

Gold Sponsors:

On Silver Shores; Don’s Flowers & Gifts; The Zeeland Record;  Keikover, Scholma & Schumaker, PC;  The Zeeland Print Shop; Bunte’s Pharmacy

Silver Sponsors:

IC Designs; The City of Zeeland

Orange Sponsors:

Zeeland Hardware; Frank’s Restaurant; Zeeland Schwinn; Harbor Toy Company; Mainstreet Beanery; Edward Jones

Sponsors for the Horse-Drawn Trolley Rides include:

Life Services Systems

Carpet Bonanza

JQ 99/1260 The Pledge

Don’s Flowers & Gifts

Mainstreet Beanery

United Way Campaign Posts 40% before Thanksgiving

 In photo below:  Bruce Sheets (left), Electric Distribution Team Leader from Consumers Energy’s Zeeland Service Center and Dennis McKee, Public Affairs Director, put up the 40% mark on United Way’s campaign thermometer sign at Chicago Drive and State Street in Zeeland on Monday. Donations from employees of Consumers’ JH Campbell Complex in Port Sheldon Township and Zeeland Service Center were up more than 10 percent over last year.

Holland, Michigan:  November 25, 2009:  Greater Ottawa County United Way officials are thankful for a generous community this Thanksgiving holiday, as workplace campaigns and individual donations received so far have pushed the community campaign past the 40 percent mark. As of Monday, more than $750,000 in gifts and pledges had been tallied toward a goal of $1.8 million.

Campaign Chair Larry Koops noted that, while workplace campaigns are down on average about five percent from last year’s levels, gifts from individuals are up about 20 percent, a trend he says everyone hopes will continue.

“People not connected to a workplace campaign will be a critical factor in our success. Even with more than 200 companies in Ottawa County holding workplace campaigns, we reach only about 20 percent of our citizens in this way. We need the help of the other 80 percent to fill the gap so that we can meet the urgent needs of our community today and create the building blocks of a better life tomorrow,” Koops said.

United Way will conduct a phone-a-thon on December 1 and 2 in the hopes of increasing gifts from individual givers, Koops added. Board members and other volunteers will call prospective givers, as well as past givers who have not yet contributed to this year’s campaign, asking for their support.

United Way President Patrick Moran said that many workplace campaigns already completed are up, an encouraging trend.

“More than half of the workplace campaigns have increased over last year’s results,” Moran said. “This is helping to bridge the gap for companies whose workforce is smaller than it was during last year’s campaign.”

He added, “We continue to be very, very gratified by the community’s generosity.  West Michigan has proven itself year after year as a giving community that cares deeply about those in need.”

Moran also noted two nontraditional sources that have provided a boost to the campaign.

“We’re connecting with more retirees this year, and retiree giving is up over last year.  Also, our Beyond the Workplace division continues to break new ground in partnering with local retail and restaurant businesses to benefit the community.”

Moran cited next month’s “Feel the Zeel of Giving,” a holiday event happening in downtown Zeeland on Thursday and Friday nights, 5:30-8:30 p.m. from December 3 through 18.

“Downtown Zeeland is going all out to create a holiday experience for families, with horse-drawn trolley rides, caroling, pictures with Santa, free giftwrapping, and treats and specials in all the shops and restaurants. United Way is helping to provide volunteers for these six nights of holiday fun through Volunteer Solutions, our online volunteer resource. Participating businesses will donate a percentage of their sales to United Way. It’s the true holiday spirit coming alive for the good of our community,” he said.

Volunteers can sign up to help wrap gifts, lead carols on the trolley, or stroll the downtown streets directing visitors to activities during one or more of the six nights by emailing Shannon Morton, Director of Volunteerism, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone at 396-7811 in Holland or 842-7130 in Grand Haven. 

Moran emphasized that everyone can help just by shopping or dining in Zeeland during “Feel the Zeel of Giving.”

“It’s a great way to enjoy time with friends and family while helping others,” he said.

 Residents who are not able to participate in the campaign through their employment may also click DONATE NOW at www.ottawaunitedway.org, or mail a donation to Greater Ottawa County United Way, PO Box 1349, Holland, MI  49422.  Anyone with questions may call Patrick Moran, President, at 616-396-7811 in Holland or 842-7130 in Grand Haven.

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VISTA joins United Way Staff

Greater Ottawa County United Way is Ottawa County’s “go to resource” for volunteerism, and now its volunteer efforts will benefit from the time and talent of RandiLynn Talsma, who joins the staff through the auspices of Volunteers In Service to America (VISTA), a program of Americorps.

Director of Volunteerism Shannon Morton, who once served United Way’s volunteer efforts as a VISTA herself, said, “We are delighted to have RandiLynn with us. She is working with our Student Service Learning program, which this year has expanded to five school systems in Ottawa County, helping our community’s young people to understand the many life-changing benefits of community service.”

Talsma brings a background in sales, management, and community service to her new role at United Way. As a part of the largest team for the Grand Haven Strides Walk earlier this year, she helped raise more than $7,000 to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In her first months of service at United Way, she has made a variety of presentations to students promoting community service through United Way’s Student Service Learning Program, which United Way President Patrick Moran says is an effective way to introduce young people to lifelong participation in their communities.

“Our student Service Learning program has grown tremendously since its creation a year ago, and this continued growth would not be possible without people like Randi Lynn and programs like VISTA.  This is a real win-win-win situation for the community, United Way, and Vista volunteers like Randi Lynn,” Moran said.

Talsma graduated from Grand Haven High School in 1999 and has worked as an interior designer and as a care provider at an adult family care home. She and her husband make their home in Norton Shores with their three children.  She can be reached at (616) 396-7811 in Holland or (616) 842-7130 in Grand Haven.