Envision a new neighborhood made up of 16 tiny homes opening doors to home ownership. That’s just what inspired the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids Sunday Assembly worship community to support the project.
Sister Barbara Hansen and Chuck and Sharon Marks arrived for a tour of the tiny homes project – and discovered it was part of a much bigger endeavor, a collaboration with Mel Trotter subsidiary Next Step of West Michigan.
Called Hope Village, the development includes 16 tiny homes that have between 400 and 530 square feet of living space. “They completed the first home the week of our tour in August,” said Sister Barbara Hansen. “We really appreciate their focus on developing community and providing supportive services to these new homeowners who are learning and aspiring to be their best selves.”
Aligns With Mission to Love our Neighbors
“When we heard about Mel Trotter advocating for and building the area’s first tiny homes neighborhood, that got our attention. It aligns with our Congregation’s mission to Love as Christ loved, and commitment to Love our neighbors,” said Sister Barbara.
“Through ministry, community, study, and prayer we share Christ’s message — redemptive love that reflects God’s desire for a just world.
Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids Direction Statements
“We proposed it to our Sunday Assembly worship community as a way to honor two long-time participants who died this past year. Both Sandy and Don were deeply committed to sharing their gifts with our worship community, principles of Catholic Social Teaching, and projects to support people in need in Grand Rapids. They would have loved this housing initiative.”
Missions Align: Mel Trotter, Next Steps, Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids
Adam Lipscomb, Mel Trotter’s Senior Director of Church Engagement and Ministry, led our tour and introduced us to the multi-faceted and highly collaborative approach of these two organizations: Mel Trotter “demonstrating the compassion of Jesus Christ toward anyone experiencing hunger or homelessness”, and Next Steps, “a faith-based social enterprise non-profit that provides job skills training as well as employment opportunities to community members that have been systematically pushed towards the edges of our society…”
The Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids is an apostolic community of vowed women religious. We respond to a call to live our commitment made in baptism: to grow in the love of God.
Through ministry, community, study, and prayer we share Christ’s message — redemptive love that reflects God’s desire for a just world. Our hope is to continue opening ourselves to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit — and to be a flame of truth, love, hope, and mercy.
Dominican Associates are non-vowed women and men who desire to practice their Christian faith in the spirit of the Dominican Order of Preachers. More than 150 Associates have made commitment to our Grand Rapids Congregation’s Associate Life, supporting one another and bringing Dominican values to their family, community, place of worship and workplace.
