On September 7, Community Homeworks hosted our second annual Faith-Based Roundtable at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Approximately fifty leaders and members from over twenty faith traditions came together to hear about sustainable homeownership strategies and our collective role in keeping local families and homeowners safely in their homes.
The two-hour gathering began with a delicious meal provided by ‘Gleaves Gifted Hands’ Catering. People met, mingled, and simply relaxed before hearing a keynote address from Mary Balkema, Housing Director for Kalamazoo County. She provided the group with a summary of the history of the Kalamazoo County Housing for All Millage and provided the county’s current state of housing and ways the 2022 Kalamazoo County Housing Plan is being activated. She shared how homeowner retention remains a critical component of the response to the housing crisis.
Chris Praedel, Executive Director of Community Homeworks, then premiered a video featuring our 15-year history and how we have evolved and grown in response to community needs. This evolution involves not only the growth of our critical home repair services but also our home maintenance workshops and (just recently) the launch of a new tool lending library.
The event aims to make sure the faith-based community knows we are here to augment their efforts as they attend to the needs and empower homeowners within their congregations. The faith-based community was historically the primary support entity when homeowners had nowhere else to turn to with critical home repair issues. Many faith organizations no longer have the resources or members able to assist at levels previously offered. The increased awareness of nonprofit services available alleviates some of the pressure and creates a referral pipeline.
A panel from diverse backgrounds, moderated by Kaylen Humes, Deputy Director, wrapped up our time together by expressing their thoughts regarding sustainable housing. The panel’s collective comments exemplified how integral homeowner retention strategies remain to the overall housing crisis. Willa DiTaranto shared that funding for home repair initiatives are often overlooked because they are not as visible as a new apartment complex or housing development. As a group, they shared everything from our local history of racial redlining of neighborhoods to current community strengths. Panelists included:
Eric Cunningham, Kalamazoo Forward Ventures;
Willa DiTaranto, Kalamazoo County Housing Department;
Reverend Rachel Lonberg, Pastor of The People’s Church;
Elizabeth Washington, Northside Association for Community Development.
Guests were given a few minutes at their respective tables to simply share thoughts before they left with a list of ways to collaborate with Community Homeworks. Regarding the latter, attendees now know that if they need to refer someone to us within their congregations, Community Homeworks and its housing partners will do all it can to respond. The mutuality of listening and understanding each other is a value we honor as we work to promote equity within the housing sphere.
This gathering again exemplified how people with such diverse faith traditions wholeheartedly congregate on behalf of the common good. The joy was palpable. Afterward, we heard from various people, including Rabbi Schicker, who said, “I learned some things I did not know and spoke about them in my sermon the following weekend. I appreciated meeting a few new people.”
In addition to our guests, we are so grateful to our speakers and the leadership of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, who graciously hosted this year’s event.
We can’t wait for next year! Stay tuned for details in mid-2025 regarding the 3rd Annual Faith-Based Roundtable. For more information or to assist with our 2025 planning, reach out to Nancy Servoss at (269) 998-3275 or [email protected].
