Inclusive Ottawa County

Secular Youth Group turned into an impromptu karaoke night 🩶🎤 Love these theater nerds

How about How to support a neighbors non profit? Ways to support IOC for $0:

Book Clubs this month!

Resource rooms available at The Village: clothing newborn- 4X adult; food and hygiene pantry; seasonal gear; HomeGoods.
Lending libraries for books and board games!
Mutual aid and building community are essential always, but especially now. Come find your Village #inclusiveottawacounty

We love the art and notes left behind by our little neighbors ❤️

Supporting 2-SLGBTQIA+ People with Disabilities Disability is more common than many realize, particularly among 2-SLGBTQIA+ adults. An HRC Foundation analysis of the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System found that 36% of 2-SLGBTQIA+ adults self-reported having a disability, compared to 24% of non-2-SLGBTQIA+ adults. This includes 35% of cisgender LGBQ+ adults and 52% of transgender adults. The intersection of being 2-SLGBTQIA+ and disabled amplifies discrimination and bias, especially for people of color, impacting daily life, education, healthcare, and work.

An estimated 3 to 5 million 2-SLGBTQIA+ people in the United States have disabilities. 2-SLGBTQIA+ folk with disabilities often feel isolated due to a lack of resources and double discrimination from the intersection of their identities. This can worsen if they also hold other marginalized identities or lack affirmation from parents and caregivers. Schools often fail to provide affirming spaces for disabled 2-SLGBTQIA+ youth. Special education programs rarely address sexuality, and mainstream schools offer little information on disabilities and queer identities. Additionally, non-disabled peers often lack experience interacting with disabled people, further increasing feelings of isolation.

At the intersection of disability and the 2-SLGBTQIA+ identities lies a unique set of challenges that many individuals face. For those navigating both worlds, it's essential that support systems are inclusive, accessible, and affirming of both their gender and ability. (THREAD - 1/?)

Find the wardrobe you need without breaking the bank! At our seasonal clothing events you get a bag of clothing for FREE! You shop everything yourself, and we bring out our back stock to make sure you get the good stuff to make it through the remainder of our winter days! Kids get a bag free, too!

Our first meeting of the Social Justice book club will be meeting Feb 19th at The Village library! Spend the month reading books that have to do with black history and racial justice and be ready for a guided group discussion surrounding this theme.

#ottawacountyvalues #inclusiveottawacounty

Nor am I!

Secular Youth group is cancelled tonight ❄️🩵 Stay safe out there, neighbors

List: Warming centers open ahead of Arctic blast. As the Arctic blast settles into West Michigan, warming centers are starting to open up. https://www.woodtv.com/weather/weather-news/list-warming-centers-open-ahead-of-arctic-blast/

Another resource room at The Village community center! Come drop off donations or shop during our regular open hours: Sunday 2-5, Monday 9:30-2, Friday 9:30-2

Open hours at The Village today 2-5! Come hang out, browse resource rooms, drop off donations or VOLUNTEER with us!
#inclusiveottawacounty #thevillagecommunitycenter

Another resource rooms available at The Village is our gift closet! Find something for any age- all new and unopened items. These are FREE supplemental birthday/holiday gifts for those in need ❤️ Available upon request
#inclusiveottawacounty #resourcerooms #westmichigan

Happy to see you, neighbor!

Appreciate you, neighbor!

Getting our HomeGoods resource room up and running! This is our catch-all room, where you'll find wall art, school supplies, kitchen gear, and other household odds and ends! Always FREE, supported by our generous West Michigan neighbors!

#inclusiveottawacounty

Stay warm, neighbors! Come in during any of our regular open hours to browse FREE resources, like our seasonal section! No registrations, proof of income or residence.

Next week, join us for Food&Fun with IOC, our monthly pizza and game night! Donations welcome but not required ❤️

Everybody switching away from Meta, so I'm shouting out Allegan county, Kent County, Ottawa County, and other West Michigan neighbors to follow along with us!

Congrats to our board of directors! ❤️ Mercedes Watts is our President, Shelby Pedersen is our VP, Brie Piers is our Secretary & Hannah Pedersen continuing as Treasurer! Thank you to board members who served positions with such dedication thus far, & wish our directors good luck in their new roles!

A panelist standing in front of a screen.

Are you knowledgeable and enthusiastic about a specific topic of anime or Japanese culture? Do you enjoy interacting with other fans of that subject? If so, come share your expertise by hosting a panel at the 2025 JAFAX!

Panel applications are now open at docs.google.com/forms/d/1Kdr...)! 💙

Are you in West Michigan? Our community center is located in Hudsonville! We welcome everyone. Here are some things you can expect in the coming year!

Adjusted holiday hours at The Village community center in Hudsonville MI! Host a play date, work remote, drop off donations or shop our free resource rooms ❤️

2024 has been an amazing year at IOC! We're thankful for all the neighbors we've met, friendships built, games played, and meals shared. Thank you for building community with us. We're stronger together ❤️

Our food and hygiene pantry could use a little love ❤️ We accept any shelf stable foods and unopened or individually packaged things.

If you're in West Michigan and need help staying warm this winter without breaking the bank, check out our free clothing events! Saturday and Sunday 2-5pm at The Village community center in Hudsonville Michigan. Bring your own bag or donate $1/bag to keep events like this possible!

Pretty sure every Ottawa County school district is closed for the day. How are y'all staying warm and occupied today? Stay off the roads if you can!