Supporting employees both at work and at home
Our Team
Alison Freas
President & CEO
Leticia Rodriguez
Office Coordinator
Clementina Floyd
Senior Resource Navigator
Amani Muragwabugabo
Resource Navigator
Sarah Westoby
Project Lead
Erika Gonzalez
Managing Director
Milly Chavez
DHHS Caseworker
Lourdes Jordan
Program Manager
Angela Rincones
Senior Program Manager
Joyce Rohrer
Director of Business and Community Engagement
Sophia Chen
Resource Navigator
Vanessa Lopez
Resource Navigator
Carly Shereda
Resource Navigator
Anais Perez Villar
Office Manager
Erica Harris
Resource Navigator
Abigail Medina
Resource Navigator
Jacqueline VanDyke
Resource Navigator
Our Governing Board
Becky
Ploeg
President
Comfort Research
Gina
Triick
Treasurer
Spectrum Industries
Stephanie
Schoenherr
Secretary
Cascade Engineering
Lisa
England
Director
Butterball Farms
Our Advisory Board
Arianna
Hovey
Lake Michigan
Credit Union
TaRita
Johnson
The Right Place
Laura
Longstreet
Royal Technologies
John
VanElst
Grand Rapids
Community College
Our Vision
The SOURCE will be a champion for the workforce and a lead voice in advocating for programs and policies that create pathways to economic and personal well-being to improve the lives of working families across the state of Michigan.
Our Mission
The SOURCE brings together the people, systems, and supports required to stabilize households and strengthen our community by eliminating systemic barriers to employment.
Our Values
The Whole Person
We provide holistic support.
We know work is only one aspect of life.
We focus on the big picture and seek to understand the interconnectedness of all parts of our client’s lives so we can provide comprehensive support to help them achieve their personal and professional goals.
Dignity
We treat everyone with dignity.
Whether you engage with us as a client, business member, community partner, or member of our team, we value your unique perspective, and treat you with respect and kindness in every interaction.
Collaboration
We believe in the power of collaboration.
Our organization was founded through intentional and innovative partnerships.
We remain committed to building unique connections to best serve our clients, strengthen the workforce, and improve outcomes for our communities.
Advocacy
We use our voices to advocate.
In our neighborhoods and across the country, we bring awareness to the struggles of the workforce and challenge the status quo as we fight for greater systems change.
Our History
A group of manufacturers in Grand Rapids, Michigan, spearheaded by Mark Peters, CEO of Butterball Farms, came together originally to discuss child care issues in the workplace and how a solution to child care would help productivity and reduce turnover. The result was the formation of an organization named The Source.
The goal of the Source was to return value to the employer partners in tangible ways. The methods used by its staff range from finding housing solutions for displaced employees, transportation solutions for employees who have problems getting to work, and access to a greater range of training opportunities; financial counseling for employees, ESL classes and Spanish classes.
The Source brings together community, government, and private interests to leverage existing assets in order to strengthen the community’s workforce.