We are the
Momentum Center

Our Mission

The Momentum Center is pursuing a world where everyone is fully visible and connected.

We actively practice inclusion and value radical diversity. we champion equal access and equity of opportunity through the intentional celebration of people across all identity groups, including but not limited to age, appearance, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and perspective.

How it all started

In 2015, Barbara Lee VanHorssen launched Extended Grace, a nonprofit organization encouraging people to extend more grace to one another. Her vision was to connect people who wanted to make a difference with opportunities to serve while also paying attention to the gaps in the system. Her hope was to bring collaborative energy to filling those gaps and creating a healthier, more inclusive community for all.

Conversations at coffee shops and Town Hall Meetings led Barbara and her Board to open the Momentum Center for Social Engagement. With the help of the mental health millage that our own residents helped get passed, they launched this unique social and recreational program for adults with mental illness, addictions and disabilities. A year after opening the Momentum Center, they added Momentum Center Teens, which now welcomes young people beginning at age 11.

Recently, Barbara and the Board have been working to resolve confusion around the name Extended Grace. Many people assume it is a church while others confuse it with another local nonprofit with a similar name. As we seek to share the model of the Momentum Center with other communities, it also adds a layer of structure that can be difficult to understand. Finally, we are simply better well known for our achievements with the Momentum Center.

So, we have decided to start using the Momentum Center as our primary identity. We are still “powered” by Extended Grace. Extended Grace is still our legal 501(c)3 name, but we also have an official DBA as Momentum Center. And we are hoping by using Momentum Center as our primary identity that it will be easier for others to connect with our important work.

Logo featuring a stylized tree with a brown trunk and green circular leaves, with the words "Extended Grace" beneath it in green text.

Our Staff

A smiling woman with blonde hair sitting outdoors in a wooded area, wearing a black sweater over a pink collared shirt.

Barbara Lee VanHorssen
Experi-Mentor

A smiling woman with blonde hair sitting outdoors in a wooded area, wearing a white and gray striped hoodie.

Jenna Vipond
Chief Operations Officer

A woman with long curly red hair and glasses sitting outdoors in a wooded area, smiling at the camera.

Anne De Rooy
Grand Haven Program Coordinator

A man in a dark green sweater sitting outdoors in a wooded area with fallen leaves.

Michael Cansfield
Development Director

A woman sitting outdoors in a wooded area with trees and fallen leaves, smiling at the camera, wearing a grey cardigan and a red and navy floral top.

Dee McIntyre
Detail Wizard

Board of Directors

A smiling man with glasses and gray hair sitting outdoors on a black chair in a wooded area during daytime.

Don Avery
President

A woman with long brown hair, wearing rectangular glasses and a burgundy turtleneck sweater, smiling outdoors with blurry trees and a body of water in the background.

Emily Korchnak
Treasurer

A smiling woman with long, light brown hair and bangs, wearing a gray blazer over a black top, standing outdoors with trees in the background.

McKenna Grennan
Secretary

A woman with brown hair, glasses, and hoop earrings smiling while sitting outdoors in a wooded area. She is wearing a blue t-shirt with colorful text about mental health.

Mikaela Andrea
Vice President

A woman smiling while sitting outdoors in a wooded area, wearing glasses, a white cardigan, a black shirt, and gold jewelry.

Aida Tanaka

Young man smiling outdoors, wearing a gray North Face jacket and black shirt, with a blurred natural background.

Christian Garcia

A smiling man wearing a blue shirt sitting outdoors in a wooded area with trees and fallen leaves.

Joe
Matthews

A man smiling outdoors with trees in the background, wearing a dark blue Taylor Swift The Eras Tour T-shirt.

Ben
Kamphuis

Smiling man wearing glasses, a black cap with a United States Marine Corps emblem, and a black zip-up shirt outside with bare trees in the background.

Todd
Krygsheld

Volunteer Consultants

Linda Bengston

Michael Moran

Tina Dee

Kim Street

Bill Haug

Bernie Snoeyer

Melanie Swiftney

Elizabeth Huisman

Leif VanHorssen

Ryan Keenan

Group of people sitting around a table playing a card game.
Two women sitting at a table, one smiling at the camera, the other holding a small brush or stick, with cups and yogurt containers on the table.