Seeking Donations for a Holland Nurse: A Reminder of What Community Can Do

When we set out to find donations for a nurse in our community, we didn’t know exactly how it would go. What we did know was simple: someone who spends their life caring for others needed support, and we were in a position to help organize that support.

What followed was a reminder of why community-based mutual aid matters. The process wasn’t flashy or complicated. It was conversations, messages, asking questions, making connections, and trusting that people would show up if given the chance. And they did. Individuals, small organizations, and community members stepped forward with donations, resources, and time—because helping felt like the right thing to do.

Using donated funds, we were able to support the campaign directly and gather essential supplies for people experiencing homelessness. Through this effort, we collected 5 tents, 4 sleeping bags, and 11 large contractor-style bags filled with jackets, hoodies, hats, gloves, socks, scarves, and winter boots. These were practical, immediate items meant to meet people where they are and help them stay safer during the colder months.

These supplies were distributed directly to unhoused individuals in Holland and Grand Haven, ensuring that the support reached people locally and without barriers.

This experience reinforced something we believe deeply at the Great Lakes Resilience Collective: care doesn’t have to be transactional or performative to be powerful. It just has to be intentional.

No one asked for recognition. No one needed convincing. People helped because they understood that supporting one another—especially those who care for our communities every day—is how we build something stronger together.

Finding donations for this nurse wasn’t about charity. It was about solidarity. It was about neighbors helping neighbors, sharing what they could, and trusting that collective effort makes a difference.

Moments like this remind us that resilience isn’t abstract. It’s built in real time, through real people, choosing to show up for one another.

We’re grateful to everyone who contributed, organized, shared resources, and helped make this possible. This work belongs to all of us—and it’s proof that when community leads, care follows.