Dave Dowson: Building More Than Homes
When Dave Dowson retired and moved to the Lowell area in the spring of 2022, he was looking for something meaningful to do. He wanted to help people and get to know the neighbors in his new community. That search led him here, where his first assignment was working at Main Street Housing and building maintenance at FROM Headquarters.
Dave had volunteered with the Red Cross in Grand Rapids before, but FROM was closer to home, part of the community he now called his own.
Ask Dave what matters most about FROM’s values, and he doesn’t hesitate: Integrity and Dignity. “If we have Integrity, we have the trust of the community,” he says. “And Dignity is what this is all about. Giving people the opportunity to feel good about themselves, giving them some self-esteem.”
That belief came to life through his work at Main Street Housing. Dave says it’s the people, the fellow volunteers who became lasting friends, and the tenants they serve that truly make FROM’s work special.
For anyone considering volunteering at FROM, “Helping people feels good, in more ways than you’d expect, and the connections you make along the way are a huge bonus.” Dave says.
Interested in learning more about how you can volunteer at FROM? Connect online at fromlowell.org/volunteer. We’d love to welcome you.
3 Ways to Weave Giving into Your Will 
Real estate investors often face a big challenge once they decide to sell their property. What seemed like substantial growth in value could be reduced by 20 to 30 percent – sometimes even more – by the tax bill.
“If you look at why I am here…you just feel it,” Marilyn, Flat River Outreach Ministries (FROM) volunteer, shared. At 92 years young, Marilyn is one of our oldest and longest continuously serving volunteers at FROM. Volunteering since the turn of the century, she’s served for 26 years, logging nearly 10,000 hours just since 2011! She and her daughters highlighted the camaraderie of volunteers, the folks she met, and the friendships that kept her involved over the years. These days, she volunteers in the craft area with her daughter, Beverly, but many will remember her from her days as the volunteer thrift store director, a position she held from the early 2000s until her retirement in January 2013. She has loved volunteering with her daughters Beverly and Diana over the years. 
Reduce Taxes and Burdens by Giving Property
First is Kelly Glas, who is now our Program Manager! Kelly joined FROM in 2020 as our Healthy Food Program Coordinator and was recently promoted to Program Lead prior to this most recent promotion. During her time at FROM she has grown her impact in the Food Pantry, building on the strong foundation created by so many volunteers. She has built long-lasting partnerships to support the pantry, launched the Farm Market, and supported the development of the transportation program (Ride To & FROM). Last year she led the entire Christmas Distribution (Christmas Toy Store & Food Basket) for the first time. Kelly’s consistent leadership and dedication have clearly demonstrated her readiness for this next step. She also does an outstanding job representing FROM at the county level. Thank you, Kelly, for your continued dedication to our community!
Lauren Johnson is being promoted to Store Director. Lauren joined our FROMily in 2022 as Store Manager and has been instrumental in partnering with volunteers and staff to grow store sales more than $350,000! Over the past four years, she has brought structure, direction, and strong leadership to the store operation through collaboration with both volunteers and staff. As is often the case, great work leads to greater opportunities 😊. In addition to her current store responsibilities, Lauren will now oversee the Volunteer Coordinator role. This change creates natural synergy, as many of our volunteers support the store operation. We are excited to see Lauren continue to grow in this expanded leadership role.
Last week, we cut a ribbon ten years in the making.
Neighbors to the west of Lowell are now eligible for food assistance from one of the community’s most charitable resources.
If you receive SNAP food benefits in Michigan, you may need to meet new work requirements — known as Time Limited Food Assistance, or TLFA — to keep receiving your food assistance.