I used to volunteer with this organization. Seeing some of the negative reviews with this organization, I thought I'd share some observations. First, I've seen while working here that during a blizzard, people walk back out into the freezing cold and blowing snow, when told about all the rules and regulations they'd have to adhere to, such as for the first six months, you have to go to classes to learn how to manage money, or a list of jobs within the mission, mostly janitorial duties. Moreover, going to chappel on Thursdays, which although is mandatory, it's a small price to pay if you're given a place to sleep and learning life-skills such as personal finances, being on time for classes, and how to do manual labor to keep the building you live, eat, and sleep in, clean. So many people have left this organization with a job (after six months of working, if you still can't find affordable housing, the organization has rooms you can rent until you do). So, think of this place as a mini-basic training for life. You learn to make your bed, clean up after yourself, respect for yourself and others. Learn to be on time to classes and scheduled work details. In the end, you'll leave with job and other financial skills that people never receive and always are one paycheck away from being homeless. If you're on the street, and you need to desperately start over in life, this place is a great place to start. But, it won't be easy. read more

I really wanted to do something nice for Christmas that was truly just giving, and so I organized an event with some family members to serve food to those who are less fortunate. I worked with Paulette who is the volunteer coordinator for the mission for both men's and women's location. I was at the Men's location, and the lobby is truly nice with contemporary furniture. I was surprised, but now I understand being that many furniture factories are located in Holland. The place is very clean and well kept, and it was great to see their living areas and how their beds were all made. There aren't alot of personal touches since the place is set up to be a temporary place to support them. The guys there seemed so appreciative of our help and gave us a round of applause, and the tour was nice as well. read more

Don't come to this shelter they using God under false pretenses with a fake Christian persona ripping off those who are less fortunate who are trying to overcome their homeless situation. I witness racism at another level. While me and another woman of color worked full time jobs they made us work late nights completing chore duties while those of white status were given less menial tasks and treated in higher regard. Making us move repeatedly from different rooms repeatedly at odd hours of the day or night, mind I work 3rd shift. They plant false allegations of child abuse if you don't do what they say or want you to do. They take our money put it in an interest bearing account for them to accrue interest off of and they don't even work for it. Also give us a meager 10-15 dollars allowance of our own money that we earned and have the nerd to treat us with disrespect. And then pray in the name of God after doing so. Taking foodstamps when government is totally against you sharing your food stamps in anyway with anyone which is considered fraud so they force us to break government policies. Also the police and Holland rescue mission work hand in hand together covering for one another there are more stories than these I assure you they are coming. Putting people on the street in the middle of the night in the freezing cold. Violating privacy rights bombarding in peoples rooms just because they run the shelter. read more

DO NOT COME HERE UNLESS YOU REALLY HAVE TO!!!! This shelter is only out for money. They care nothing about you. Money management is only them taking your money from you and then controlling how you use it. They take your food stamps and then tell you how much you are able to spend on that. I understand they try to keep people from messing up their money. But there are other ways to go about doing that. I had money that I needed to get my kids school clothes and they almost didn't give it to me, I practically had to beg them for my kid's school clothes money, and they told me I can go to the goodwill or to their thrift store to get school clothes for my kids. Don't get me wrong I don't judge people that go to thrift stores but I have shopped at malls for 16 years for my kids school clothes without it being expensive and I wasn't going to change for them. They take your food stamps but then give you donuts for breakfast and molded bread with your meals. Then if your not there when it's mealtime they tell you to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Your on a constant schedule doing chores and workstation not to mention chapel every other day. Then if you don't want to listen to chapel service they kick you out of the shelter. They called themselves trying to help me by giving me a house when they gave me 30 days to leave. When I went to see the house I was disappointed to say the least. The windows were cracked, the siding was falling off, the wood on the stairs was going bad the screen door needed to be replaced, and someone was still living in it, so I didn't get a chance to see the inside of it. I told them that I couldn't take the house due to the repairs that it needed before me and family could move into it they really kicked me out, then. I tried reasoning with them to tell them that section 8 has to inspect the house before I could move into it and that they demand that repairs be done to it before I move in, they still found yet another reason to kick me out of the shelter. Now I am homeless again and have nowhere to go. I have three kids and yet out on the streets and they don't care. There are no available shelters in the area and then they try to send you to cities that have shelter but are not safe areas to live in DO NOT COME TO THIS SHELTER!!!!!! Maybe for a few days but not long term. They extort, rob, and rape and pillage (money and food stamps) they may be even embezzling as well. They definitely are a den of thieves. read more

i stayed in this den of thieves from august 2013 to february 2014. i have to tell you this place hides behind christianity but god isn't there. i had to pay to stay in this place by paying with food stamps. i was initially blown away. i was forced to sign up for food stamps and turn it over to the mission. but was given not enough food and poor quality at that. yet they took the good food from the holland rescue mission where i stayed on 166 river and gave it away by the truckloads to other missions and charities. i was loaded with an excessive amount of chores daily. i spent 30 hours a week doing the laundry and yet still expected to find time to look for employment.i was accused by the management of not trying hard enough to find work. so the laundry duties where taken away from me and i was forced to work at the menards building they bought. thank god that was short lived i left the mission. i lived in the emergency shelter part of the mission but i was constantly pressured to join the program of which they reap financial benefits from the state whether i complete the program or not. im aware that many of the staff where fired for embezzling funds from the mission.now they are forcing the people with jobs there to pay 500.00 a month this is not a homeless shelter this is a for profit organization. take my advice stay away from this shelter. oh don't be sick up in here i had a friend that lived there when i did and he was in very poor health and they did not care at all. you could not stay in bed they lock the doors and you're just out of luck. stay away from this place find another shelter trust me!!!!!! read more