The Other Way Ministries

Earlier this month many of our staff were able to attend the ELO Network Awards Ceremony at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park! Huge congratulations to our very own team member Cody Garrison on receiving the Rising Star award! 🎉
We are grateful to be part of this Network of amazing service providers and celebrate the incredible work being done in our community to show up for and pour into the lives of young people every day!

Did you know that just $30 can supplement the in-kind donations we receive to feed FIVE families for a week through our food pantry?
Head over to Bridge Street Market TODAY and grab a $10 card (or multiple!) at the checkout to have your giving TRIPLED by Meijer. This means your $10 donation becomes $30 going directly to our food pantry! Don’t miss this easy way to join us in getting food out to neighbors who need it!

🛒 Rising inflation and higher food prices make food pantries more critical than ever for our community. Our food pantry supports more than 900 West Side neighbors each month, providing fresh fruits, vegetables and much more to help families move forward with hope.
THIS Saturday, June 20, is Double Match Day, meaning when you purchase a $10 donation card at Bridge Street Market, Meijer will triple your gift, turning it into $30. All funds will go directly toward stocking our food pantry so West Siders can stock theirs.
Learn more about the impact this can have through this beautiful and very personal reflection by West Michigan storyteller and strategist JW Newson at https://www.demductions.com/bringing-everyone-around-together/hungry-kids-grow-up-meijer-lpga

Heather unexpectedly found herself opening up her home to relatives who had experienced difficult times recently. With more mouths to feed and support needed, we were grateful to be able to walk alongside her and them through this challenging time.
She had this to say about her experience with our food pantry, “It brings hope and help during tough times for my family and me, but the love of God, and hope, are certainly found there.” We love, with the support of partners like you, getting to show up for neighbors like Heather every day.
See more about her story, our pantry's food delivery offerings, a recap of the successful events like the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive and more in our Spring Newsletter! https://theotherway.org/2026/06/westside-stories-spring-newsletter/
Reach out to subscribe to our quarterly newsletter and stay up to date with what's going on around The Other Way at https://theotherway.org/connect/

The Second Stitchers ministry at Second Congregational, Grand Rapids has blessed different nonprofits in the area with 1700 quilts over the past 14 years. Impressive! We were honored to be the recipients of 90 of these beautiful creations and to have Rev. Anne and members of this ministry come out for a dedication and prayer over these quilts and the young people who will receive them in our Little Lights and Youth Programs. Thank you to these amazing women for your hard work and using your gifts to spread joy and comfort to kids in our community!

This great group of men from Keystone Community Church chose to use their Tuesday night small group time to give back and serve! They did an incredible job getting our community garden fence put together in record setting time. The stories, laughter, and connection from serving as a group is always so meaningful, not just for the group, but for our staff as well. Thank you to these men and to Keystone for the numerous ways you show up for and support the Westside community!

This past month we enjoyed hosting our first Ministry Update Luncheon! Thank you to Remembrance Church for opening up your space to us and to all who attended. We look forward to offering more of these in the future and extending the invitation to even more community members and partners to enjoy some great food and hear about what’s happening at The Other Way. If you would be interested to join a future gathering, please reach out and leave us a message here! https://theotherway.org/connect/

Our K–5 After School Program kids had a blast at their end-of-year party last week! The celebration included walking tacos, crafts, and games- even our Executive Director, Scott, joined in on the fun.
We are looking forward to starting our summer programming next week and welcoming our kids back during the day!