Lisa Cober found herself leaving her home with a backpack for herself and two for her kids. She was equipped with clothes, school supplies and food. But when she arrived at a homeless shelter, she realized the had forgotten a little acknowledged necessity.

“We didn’t have any shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, anything,” Cober said. “I only had $22 for a week and there was no way I would be able to buy anything.”

Years later after Cober had moved back to Grand Haven, her son made a friend who couldn’t afford school lunch and was being given cheese sandwiches. School policy was that her son couldn’t buy him food, so she decided to take matters into her own hands.

Grand Haven’s Impact program was started by Cober and principal Tracy Wilson to help provide lower socioeconomic students with the necessities needed for those students to be successful.

“Your job as a student isn’t to worry about having a coat, or where your next meal is coming from,” Cober said. “Your job is to learn, first and foremost.”

The Impact program provides basic necessities and assistance for students and community members. Mainly run off of donations, the program disperses the items given to them out of special ed teachers Eva Clark’s classroom, 4107.

“We provide clothing, prom dresses, formal attire, just whatever a student has a need for,” Clark said. In her classroom, Clark has coats, shoes, toiletries and food available. “If they don’t have those kinds of things then they’re not going to be successful at school.”

Cober and Clark are currently working on setting up a food pantry at the high school. Donations to the program are accepted at the high school’s main office, and can be picked up by Cober.

“I do it just because you wonder what it would be like yourself to not have that.” Clark said.

Contact info: impactghhs@gmail.com

616-422-7186