Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
This is Talk of the Town onnews radio with thirteen hundred and one oh
six nine FM. Brett Bikita ishere. I am Steve Kelly from West
Michigan's Morning News, and we areproud to welcome the executive director relatively new
at Gateway Mission too, Jay Riemersma, a name you may all well know
here in West Michigan. Hope foundhere dot orgust the website. Jay.
(00:21):
Thank you for joining us this morning. Hey, I really appreciate it.
Guys, thanks so much for havingme. One of the things we want
to focus on when we talk aboutGateway Mission is relatively new as well,
and that's Gateway Spoon. Talk usthrough what that is well. Gateway Spoon
is an extension of the work thatwe do here over at the Mission,
and we're excited to announce that theupcoming launch of our restaurant is happening on
(00:47):
October five. You know, we'rereally excited. The doors will be open
October five for a great breakfast andlunch from Wednesday through Sunday from seven am
to two pm. You can bindor our cafe where you've got to grab
to go options and a cup ofcoffee till three So we're really looking forward
to this opportunity and I know thecommunity will be And you had to set
(01:10):
food Jay when we talk about GatewaySpoon, but you know you touched on
some of it. This is anopportunity for people to come in and natally
get served a great meal, butalso see in action and the people that
might be serving on that meal,how you guys are helping the community and
lifting people up. That's exactly right. The Gateway Spoon will amplify the work
that Gateway Mission does by serving thelocal Holland community and providing hope and opportunity
(01:34):
for our neighbors in need. Youknow, we have a lot of businesses
that we operate and that allows usthen to provide the services that the Mission
provides to our guests, and thisis just an extension of that. We've
always had a culinary track and aprogram for our students, and we're going
to be able to give them practicallife skills that then they can utilize to
(01:57):
be gainfully employed. So we're reallyexcited about this opportunity and looking for great
community support. And boy, whata sector that really needs well trained workers
to jump right in. Right now, we've done segment after segment about how
specifically in that industry it's been hardto fire, hard to hire a talent,
So you're doing a great service.You're absolutely right. You know,
(02:20):
this has affords us the opportunity toprovide that practical life skills that you get
people off the street. And we'reall about giving people a hand up,
not necessarily a hand out, whilewe provide for the basic physical, emotional,
and spiritual needs for those in ourcommunity that are homeless and less fortunate.
We really value work and so thisis an opportunity for the community to
(02:44):
come out and have a great mealwith a bigger benefit, with a larger
picture in mind, and so we'rereally excited about this opening. Steve mentioned
that you might recognize the name jReamers went outstanding high school athlete back in
the day and multiple sports at ZeelandHigh goes on has a great football career
at the University of Michigan and thenin the NFL. And Jay, you
(03:06):
and I have talked about this,and you know I'm friends with and we
have Tay Hellic on our radio showdoing picks. Ray Bentley I used to
coast to show with what is itabout West Michigan and guys coming back and
gals to feel the need of servingthe West Michigan community and coming back home.
And obviously you've done that now asexecutive director out at Gateway Mission,
(03:29):
you know, right where you grewup almost in Zealand. Yeah. Absolutely,
you know, we live in agreat community. West Michigan is a
great place to raise your family andyour kids because there is this work ethic,
there is this philanthropic community that reallyembraces you know, raising kids and
raising families in a great environment andgiven back. I think there's value in
(03:53):
giving back. And certainly those arethings that those gentlemen that you mentioned are
currently doing and I feel very arevery important for you know, me as
a Christian, you know, there'sthis Christian ethos that we need to help
and support those in need. AndI can't think of a better way to
do that than here at Gateway Mission. We are talking to Jay Reemersma.
(04:15):
He is the executive director of GatewayMission, specifically about the opening of Gateway
Spoon on October five. You canfind out more about all of it at
Hope found here dot org. That'sHope found here dot org. Let's talk
a little bit more about Gateway Missionin general. Talk to us about exactly
some of the services that are availablethat will be supported through Gateway Spoon.
(04:39):
Well, much like any other missionin any other town, we provide essential
services to the homeless population and lessfortunate in Ottawa and Alligan County specifically,
and so we have addiction programs.We provide for the physical needs of the
individual, but we also recognize thatas you that as you help somebody with
(05:01):
a warm meal and a warm bed, oftentimes these folks that are coming to
us are really broken individuals. Andone of the ways that you can address
the long term and reset the trajectoryof these individuals long term is to really
develop, uh, you know,their their internal being being. We talk
(05:21):
a lot about visible poverty that yousee on the side street when somebody's payinghandling,
but oftentimes the deeper route is aninvisible poverty of relationships. So we
lead with Sharon the love of JesusChrist. We don't make it conditional to
be in our place to be aChristian, but we believe that it's really
(05:45):
important to develop relationships so that wecan reset the trajectory of these individuals that
come in to our into our doors, and so we're really excited. We've
on average serve about one hundred andsixty deaths each and every day, three
hundred and sixty five days a year, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner,
and we provide all of these vocationalpractical trainings to allow them to get
(06:06):
their feet up underneath them and bepositive members of society. And if someone's
listening right now the power of communicationand this message and they want to get
involved, whether it's a volunteer ormaybe be more active in your organization,
what's the best route to do that? Jay, Yeah, I think you've
(06:26):
said it several times already. Youcan visit our website. There are many
ways we have businesses that bring entireteams over here to volunteer at our thrift
store and other areas, you know, painting, just general maintenance and upkeep
of our beautiful buildings over here.You can visit hopefound here dot com.
Otherwise, you can also check outthe gateway spoon dot com. So gatewayspoon
(06:50):
dot com. We still have acouple positions that we need to fill by
October five, So if they're inyour listening audience want to come to gatewayspoon
dot com. There's opportunity there toapply as well. So I have a
follow up question for Brett. Whenyou said route, was that a football
reference, Well, he wasn't tightend can I had to run a good
(07:11):
pass route right and needed to fitthat in there. Hope found here dot
org. As you mentioned gateway spoondot org. Jay Reemer's executive director of
Gateway Mission, thank you so muchfor your help today, the great service
that you do for our community,and for being on Talk of the Town.
Thank you guys really appreciate it.I have a blessed day. This
is News Radio Wood thirteen hundred andone oh six nine FM
This is Talk of the Town onnews radio with thirteen hundred and one oh
six nine FM. Brett Bikita ishere. I am Steve Kelly from West
Michigan's Morning News, and we areproud to welcome the executive director relatively new
at Gateway Mission too, Jay Riemersma, a name you may all well know
here in West Michigan. Hope foundhere dot orgust the website. Jay.
(00:21):
Thank you for joining us this morning. Hey, I really appreciate it.
Guys, thanks so much for havingme. One of the things we want
to focus on when we talk aboutGateway Mission is relatively new as well,
and that's Gateway Spoon. Talk usthrough what that is well. Gateway Spoon
is an extension of the work thatwe do here over at the Mission,
and we're excited to announce that theupcoming launch of our restaurant is happening on
(00:47):
October five. You know, we'rereally excited. The doors will be open
October five for a great breakfast andlunch from Wednesday through Sunday from seven am
to two pm. You can bindor our cafe where you've got to grab
to go options and a cup ofcoffee till three So we're really looking forward
to this opportunity and I know thecommunity will be And you had to set
(01:10):
food Jay when we talk about GatewaySpoon, but you know you touched on
some of it. This is anopportunity for people to come in and natally
get served a great meal, butalso see in action and the people that
might be serving on that meal,how you guys are helping the community and
lifting people up. That's exactly right. The Gateway Spoon will amplify the work
that Gateway Mission does by serving thelocal Holland community and providing hope and opportunity
(01:34):
for our neighbors in need. Youknow, we have a lot of businesses
that we operate and that allows usthen to provide the services that the Mission
provides to our guests, and thisis just an extension of that. We've
always had a culinary track and aprogram for our students, and we're going
to be able to give them practicallife skills that then they can utilize to
(01:57):
be gainfully employed. So we're reallyexcited about this opportunity and looking for great
community support. And boy, whata sector that really needs well trained workers
to jump right in. Right now, we've done segment after segment about how
specifically in that industry it's been hardto fire, hard to hire a talent,
So you're doing a great service.You're absolutely right. You know,
(02:20):
this has affords us the opportunity toprovide that practical life skills that you get
people off the street. And we'reall about giving people a hand up,
not necessarily a hand out, whilewe provide for the basic physical, emotional,
and spiritual needs for those in ourcommunity that are homeless and less fortunate.
We really value work and so thisis an opportunity for the community to
(02:44):
come out and have a great mealwith a bigger benefit, with a larger
picture in mind, and so we'rereally excited about this opening. Steve mentioned
that you might recognize the name jReamers went outstanding high school athlete back in
the day and multiple sports at ZeelandHigh goes on has a great football career
at the University of Michigan and thenin the NFL. And Jay, you
(03:06):
and I have talked about this,and you know I'm friends with and we
have Tay Hellic on our radio showdoing picks. Ray Bentley I used to
coast to show with what is itabout West Michigan and guys coming back and
gals to feel the need of servingthe West Michigan community and coming back home.
And obviously you've done that now asexecutive director out at Gateway Mission,
(03:29):
you know, right where you grewup almost in Zealand. Yeah. Absolutely,
you know, we live in agreat community. West Michigan is a
great place to raise your family andyour kids because there is this work ethic,
there is this philanthropic community that reallyembraces you know, raising kids and
raising families in a great environment andgiven back. I think there's value in
(03:53):
giving back. And certainly those arethings that those gentlemen that you mentioned are
currently doing and I feel very arevery important for you know, me as
a Christian, you know, there'sthis Christian ethos that we need to help
and support those in need. AndI can't think of a better way to
do that than here at Gateway Mission. We are talking to Jay Reemersma.
(04:15):
He is the executive director of GatewayMission, specifically about the opening of Gateway
Spoon on October five. You canfind out more about all of it at
Hope found here dot org. That'sHope found here dot org. Let's talk
a little bit more about Gateway Missionin general. Talk to us about exactly
some of the services that are availablethat will be supported through Gateway Spoon.
(04:39):
Well, much like any other missionin any other town, we provide essential
services to the homeless population and lessfortunate in Ottawa and Alligan County specifically,
and so we have addiction programs.We provide for the physical needs of the
individual, but we also recognize thatas you that as you help somebody with
(05:01):
a warm meal and a warm bed, oftentimes these folks that are coming to
us are really broken individuals. Andone of the ways that you can address
the long term and reset the trajectoryof these individuals long term is to really
develop, uh, you know,their their internal being being. We talk
(05:21):
a lot about visible poverty that yousee on the side street when somebody's payinghandling,
but oftentimes the deeper route is aninvisible poverty of relationships. So we
lead with Sharon the love of JesusChrist. We don't make it conditional to
be in our place to be aChristian, but we believe that it's really
(05:45):
important to develop relationships so that wecan reset the trajectory of these individuals that
come in to our into our doors, and so we're really excited. We've
on average serve about one hundred andsixty deaths each and every day, three
hundred and sixty five days a year, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner,
and we provide all of these vocationalpractical trainings to allow them to get
(06:06):
their feet up underneath them and bepositive members of society. And if someone's
listening right now the power of communicationand this message and they want to get
involved, whether it's a volunteer ormaybe be more active in your organization,
what's the best route to do that? Jay, Yeah, I think you've
(06:26):
said it several times already. Youcan visit our website. There are many
ways we have businesses that bring entireteams over here to volunteer at our thrift
store and other areas, you know, painting, just general maintenance and upkeep
of our beautiful buildings over here.You can visit hopefound here dot com.
Otherwise, you can also check outthe gateway spoon dot com. So gatewayspoon
(06:50):
dot com. We still have acouple positions that we need to fill by
October five, So if they're inyour listening audience want to come to gatewayspoon
dot com. There's opportunity there toapply as well. So I have a
follow up question for Brett. Whenyou said route, was that a football
reference, Well, he wasn't tightend can I had to run a good
(07:11):
pass route right and needed to fitthat in there. Hope found here dot
org. As you mentioned gateway spoondot org. Jay Reemer's executive director of
Gateway Mission, thank you so muchfor your help today, the great service
that you do for our community,and for being on Talk of the Town.
Thank you guys really appreciate it.I have a blessed day. This
is News Radio Wood thirteen hundred andone oh six nine FM
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