Alecia’s earliest memories of FROM were from long ago, visiting Treasures Thrift Store in its earliest days to find needs and wants.

In 2012, Alecia was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. With all that comes with a life altering diagnosis, Alecia found herself in need of some help.

She still isn’t sure who requested help for her through the Repair & Restore (formerly Neighbor to Neighbor), a FROM program that provides weatherization and small home repairs, but help was there.

“The next thing I knew I had a whole group of people at my home, putting new floors and repairing a few doors,” Alecia shared. She felt seen and cared for. Her understanding of what FROM could do in a time of needed expanded as well.

Along with Repair & Restore, and Treasures Thrift Store, Alecia has also taken part in the FROM Christmas Food Basket & Toy Store programs. She loved that she was able to pick out special gifts for her children.

A sense of community blossomed for Alecia. Over the years, she has continued to frequent Treasures Thrift Store. So much so; she finally became a volunteer, serving as a cashier, and in the book department.

Today Alecia’s life is full and busy. With her cancer in remission, she fills her time with family, volunteering, and her favorite pastime, reading! She has seven bookshelves of books!

“I’m lucky compared to so many other people out there, I have fantastic kids and a wonderful husband,” she said. “There will always be something on the horizon that would be nice to have but what I have now is quite lovely.

Alecia complimented the people who make FROM, FROM, saying they are, “bright and cheerful.” We think she’s one of them.

Lowell High School Students helped unload items donated at FROM.

When Shelli Otten retired as a principal at Cherry Creek Elementary School, she still wanted to be involved with the schools, and give back to the community she loved so much. She remembers her experiences with Food Fight as a school administrator as a fun event that helped the greater Lowell community!

Shelli, who serves a the Board Chair at FROM (Flat River Outreach Ministries), said It felt natural  to step in as the Food Fight school liaison. To her, seeing students want to make a difference is an inspiration.

“Principals and counselors have shared stories about students who ask for birthday gifts of food or money so they can contribute to Food Fight,” Shelli said. “That type of thing really shows that kids care and want to make a difference!”

She said it’s the student council and Early Act groups that encourage the elementary school to “get fired up” for Food Fight.

“It’s neat to see everyone working together,” Shelli said.

Shelli went on to share her appreciation for the Lowell Area School staff who make a grand effort to motivate and excite the students to participate and to understand the difference they’re truly making in our community.

Together, the Lowell Area Schools raised more than $6,700 and collect almost 10,000! They led the charge in collect food items for Food Fight. The total Food Fight campaign raised nearly $145,000 and collected more than 12,000 food items. FROM is so thankful for the contribution of food, and most of that food was distributed and utilized during June and early July already.

“We are proud of Lowell School staff and students for collecting about 90% of this year’s food items, and for setting new records for monetary donations,” Shell said, reflecting on the 2024 Food Fight. “I’m looking forward to working with Lowell Area Schools next year; we will be changing our collection drive dates so that we kick off Food Fight in April! This change will hopefully result in even greater amounts given.”

There is a growing need for the FROM Food pantry. In the last two years the number of shopping trips have more than doubled. In 2023, FROM provided more than 2,700 shopping trips in the food pantry, up from 1,300 in 2021.

Big thanks to elementary students who helped load up the van to bring donations to FROM!

“There is a need in the community and Food Fight helps!” Shelli concluded.

FROM is always in need of food donations to the Food Pantry, and all food programs. Please be sure to check for Meijer Simply Give double match days (coming up Saturday, August 17 and Saturday September 14), drop off extras from your garden, or encourage your church, business, community group, family and friends to host a food drive! For more information, reach out to Arianne Hall, our Development Director, by email (arianneh@fromlowell.org) or by phone (616-897-8260 ext. 135).

(McKenzie, our Volunteer Coordinator, shares why she is excited to be at FROM. She loves soup – cooking, consuming and experimenting with it. So if you have a good recipe, please send it along!)

Hello! My name is McKenzie, the Volunteer Coordinator, and I am old as FROM (Flat River Outreach Ministries)!

I love to read and spend time in the sun, either with my dog, family, or friends. I became involved with FROM when my grandmother brought my sister and I in to volunteer with her in the food pantry when I was around 8-9 years old! I have volunteered on and off since.

I love that FROM serves a wide needs demographic, from the food pantry to Main Street Housing on to medical loan. FROM is truly a community resource that touches many lives.

In college, I worked with FROM on a grant writing project while I was studying Public and Nonprofit Administration at Central Michigan University. Arianne, our Development Director, was a great help and resource to me!

There are a lot of reasons I’m excited to be the new Volunteer Coordinator, but the main one is to be a great resource to all our amazing and dedicated volunteers. In doing so, that excitement spreads, furthering FROMs mission.

On a personal level, I am ecstatic to be involved in the administrative workings of an organization that I have grown up with and around and seen flourish within the Lowell community.

Volunteering means giving all that I can to those people, programs, or things that might need a little extra help or support. No matter how big or small the action might seem, the effects are boundless. There is ALWAYS something to do, wheelhouses to broaden, and lives to touch, which is a never-ending cycle of awesome!

I think one of the most eye-opening services that FROM provides is Medical Equipment Loan Closet. There are so many things that are not easily accessible in our world, but having a resource that is free and has no time constraints means that the world is a little more accessible. Injuries, illnesses, and disabilities are not fun to deal with financially either, and having access to medical loans means that the financial constraints are a little less which leads to more inclusivity in our world.

Beyond FROM, I have participated in Lowell Rotary events (if you super sleuth enough you will find some awesomely embarrassing photos of myself on their Facebook page) and I love to support small local businesses! I love to chit chat and get to know people. If you see me around, please feel free to say Hi, give me a high five, or a big bright smile…even better if you want to have a dance party. And I am always around to help, we are all in this together to build and grow a stronger community! If you or someone you know are interested in getting involved with FROM as a volunteer, feel free to email me (volunteer@fromlowell.org), give me a call (616-897-8260 ext. 133), or stop by my office to chat over a cup of coffee.

(Rex pictured here with one of the raised garden beds he tends to at Main Street Housing over the summer)

After living south of Lowell for almost five years, Rex needed to find a place to live. He had 30 days to find a new place, and his options were limited.

“I couldn’t afford, what, over $1,000 in rent,” he said about the available houses and apartments in Lowell.

The avid science fiction reader and gardener saw that FROM’s Main Street Housing had a unit for rent and quickly applied.

“I applied and within 2 weeks I’d been ok’d,” he said. “…It’s fitting my needs for right now.”

Previously, he rented a room in a house and shared the rest of the house and kitchen. He appreciates that he now has a place to truly call his own. Plus his shorter commute to and from his job at Meijer saves him gas money

In the summer you’ll find him working in the raised garden beds outside of the house or reading about gardening in one of the more than 1,000 books he owns.

“It’s a nice environment, the rent is reasonable, it’s fair,” Rex said about living at Main Street Housing.

Though the house historically had a negative reputation in the community prior to FROM taking ownership, Rex said that the reputation has changed for the better.

“I’ve had a couple people ask me when I moved in if it was like it was before,” he said. The folks living there are more friendly and take ownership of where they live. FROM has brought structure and safety through policies and security cameras.

“It’s equal housing, anybody can come here and apply,” he said about why he appreciates where he lives. “…the community does need it.”