A YEAR IN REVIEW 2023

(as of 12/31/23)

Our mission remains steadfast during this challenging time, as we continue to serve the children and families in our community. 

2023 Highlights, by the numbers:

  • 335—Area students are currently enrolled to receive weekly packs.

  • 147—Families applied to obtain monthly Family Fare vouchers to purchase bread, eggs, milk, fruits, vegetables, meat and cheese.

  • 123—Families received $5 in coupons per child per week to shop at the 2023 Vicksburg Farmers’ Market from mid-May through September for fruit, vegetables, meat and cheese.

  • 301—Elementary, middle and high school students received backpacks, school supplies, earbuds/earphones, hygiene items and snacks during and after the Back to School Bonanza in August-a joint effort of Generous Hands and South County Community Services.

  • 158—Students at Sunset Lake, Tobey and Indian Lake elementary schools received a pair of athletic shoes from the First Day Shoe Fund organization, sponsored by Generous Hands.

  • 125—Individuals (98 children) attended the December Holiday Party, held at the Vicksburg United Methodist Church, enjoying a pancake breakfast, a visit with Santa, gingerbread house decorating, cookie frosting by Meijer, shopping for toys (some donated by Dollar General of Schoolcraft) and choosing books (many donated by local Gilbert and Ivy bookstore and others).  This was a joint effort by South County Community Services and Generous Hands. 

  • 3—Grants were awarded to Generous Hands from United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo region, Allegra Printing and TJX Foundation, Inc.  Major business donors include Mike and Sharon Seelye Family Foundation, Meijer, Inc., Quality Air Service, Inc., Lewis C. Howard, Inc., and Michigan Aluminum Corporation.

  • 32—Individuals were honored with memorial donations.

  • 154—Volunteers shopped for, packed, distributed on site or delivered food to homes/blessing boxes and worked after-hour events (Back to School Bonanza, Annual Community Schools Tailgate, Transportation Safety Carnival, Harvest Festival, Iceburg Festival and Christmas Party) in 2023. 

  • 18,424.8#—Food donations

  • 1,308.7#—Non-food donations

OUR STORY

Generous Hands, Inc. is a small, non-profit organization, based in Vicksburg, Michigan, committed to helping families in time of need. In 2004 ten women in a local Bible study made a commitment to Vicksburg children to provide backpacks of food to those at risk to go hungry on the weekends. Our plan was simple, our concern was genuine, and the Vicksburg community supported us every inch of the way. That first year, twenty children at Sunset Lake Elementary School benefited from our commitment. Expansion to all five schools in the Vicksburg Community Schools district resulted in exponential growth of the Friday Pack program, so that during the 2015-2016 school year, over 330 Vicksburg children, and 148 children in surrounding communities received weekly backpacks of food.

Generous Hands provides other benefits to the Vicksburg community as well. We have educated our community about hunger (more than 1 in 5 Michigan children live in poverty per 2015 Kids Count data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation). We have taught many children (and adults) about the value of community service, and provided a tangible way for concerned citizens to help hungry children. We have educated both children and adults about nutrition and what a healthy diet looks like. We have encouraged our Friday Pack families to make healthier food choices by providing weekly coupons for milk, bread, eggs, fruits and vegetables at our local Family Fare store, and coupons for meat, cheese, fruits and vegetables at our local Vicksburg Farmer's Market. Finally, we have demonstrated that difficult community problems can be addressed by concerned, ordinary people.

Generous Hands, Inc. is a small, non-profit organization, based in Vicksburg, Michigan, committed to helping families in time of need. In 2004 ten women in a local Bible study made a commitment to Vicksburg children to provide backpacks of food to those at risk to go hungry on the weekends.

financial facts

July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022

  • Generous Hands paid Family Fare $51,290 for monthly vouchers redeemed by our Vicksburg families for bread, eggs, milk, fruit and vegetables.

    Generous Hands spent $5,604 on food purchases for Power Packs from Loaves & Fishes, Sam’s Club, and South Michigan Food Bank

    Generous Hands reimbursed the Vicksburg Farmers’ Market $13,291 in 2022 for coupons redeemed by our families for fruit, vegetables, meat and cheese. (double the amount in 2021!).

Current Board of Directors

PRESIDENT
Jan Modderman-Hui

VICE PRESIDENT
Kay Anderson

TREASURERS
Sandy Welch
Anne Liggett

SECRETARY
Brittany Hagen

BOARD MEMBERS
Carole Boal
Madeleine Lakatos Fojtik
Danna Downing
Emily Russell
Shaun Hagen

BOARD CONSULTANTS
Paula Schriemer, MD
Terry Smith-Epstein
Ginger Hill

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Sheri Louis