Welcoming New Team Members

Please join us in welcoming our new team members to Streams of Hope! Last year, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, we said “yes” to a variety of new initiatives. The following new team members have played an essential role at making those programs a success, and helping us expand our reach.

Gary Feerick Food Center Warehouse Specialist

You may remember Gary as our “2019 Kindness Award Winner” and super volunteer.  He is an extraordinary ambassador of our organization, and his heart is overfilled with God’s love. After retiring from Farmers Insurance, Gary is devoting more of his time to serving at Streams of Hope and will be helping ensure the Food Center runs smoothly.

Louanne McIntyre Development Director

Louanne started working with Streams of Hope last fall as a freelance grant writer.  Since then, we have been awarded generous grants from the Kent County CARES Act, the United Methodist Church, and Steelcase Foundation. We are so grateful for her expertise that has helped us find project funding to expand our programs. We are blessed to have someone with her background and skills on our staff.

Rev. Julie Liske Peace and Justice Coordinator

As a former Chapter Director of Circles GR and a United Methodist minister, Julie is uniquely equipped to serve at Streams of Hope. In 2020 we welcomed Circles GR to our family of programs, and Julie came on board to help with that transition. She now also spearheads initiatives to develop prayer partnerships, ensure the Streams of Hope mission is well-communicated, organize onsite events for prayer and discernment, and connect with other faith-based community development initiatives.

Zena Patillo Circles GR Program Associate

Zena serves as the Circles GR Facilitator-Coach.  She is a seasoned and sought-after coach, who brings to Streams of Hope a strong connection to community partners, a mind for strategy, and a heart for creating equity through meaningful relationships.  Zena’s experience includes facilitation for SpringGR, Faith & Finance, and Financial Freedom, as well as consultation for equity and diversity projects for companies and organizations.

Andréa Vugteveen Circles GR Program Associate

Serving as Circles’ Volunteer Coordinator, Andréa ensures that the right people are in the right roles with the right support and training for meaningful volunteer service. Andréa is passionate about  creating safe, grace-filled and supportive environments for everyone – particularly children – to learn and grow. Andréa’s experience includes leadership for Grand Rapids Initiative for Leaders (GRIL), Teen Ministries at The Other Way, and Sibshops peer support groups for children and youth who have  siblings with special needs, and is a Lab Instructor for Calvin University Social Work students.   During the transition to Streams of Hope, Andréa also coordinates Circles day-to-day administrative momentum.

We’re so excited to have these passionate team members come on board. If you want to get involved, you can support the work of Streams of Hope with a secure online gift here.