Alliance of Cultural and Ethnic Harmony

Our Mission Statement

The Alliance for Cultural and Ethnic Harmony is dedicated to promoting unity, justice, equal opportunity, ethnic awareness, cross-cultural understanding and appreciation for diversity.

Resources for Discussing and Disrupting Racism

About Us

Founded in January 1999, the Alliance for Cultural and Ethnic Harmony, ACEH, is a non-profit, non-partisan grass-roots group of ethnically diverse people from Holland and nearby areas. ACEH is a friendly organization that welcomes all people and works to create the feeling that our communities belong to everyone. ACEH is not affiliated with any political or religious groups, and is supposrted by membership dues, donations and grants.

What does ACEH do?

Holds monthly public meetings to talk about local and national justice and diversity issues, listen to speakers from different ethnic groups, and take part in "walk in my shoes" cross-cultural exercises.
Provides a safe and respectful place to share experiences of prejudice and racism and to work on solutions.
Works with ethnic and civic groups on projects to foster an inclusive community, including the Lakeshore Area Summit on Racism.
Offers resources of ideas, speakers, materials and diversity training to schools, businesses, clubs, and religious organizations.
Supports public efforts to oppose discrimination, racism, and violence.
Publishes a monthly newsletter sent via email or regular mail; also sends e-mail bulletins about events and issues in West Michigan.
Holds annual potluck with ethnic foods and family games, sponsors other social events.
Encourages patronage of ethnic businesses and events.

Holland's (Un)affordable Housing:

You are a retail clerk, a teacher, a chef, a worker at a local manufacturing plant. You are single, married, with children or without. You work in Holland--but you can’t find an affordable apartment or home, so you commute miles to work or you double up with friends and family. You are an employer, but potential employees turn down your job offer because they can’t find a place to live here.

In Holland, and Ottawa County, people in need of rentals have struggled for years to find housing that suits their needs and matches their income. For them, relief from unaffordable housing can’t come soon enough. A recent proposal for a mixed-income rental development in downtown Holland was defeated by a 5-3 vote in city council.

“It is not just those you see on the street corners with signs, but individuals who have jobs and are one paycheck away from being homeless,” ACEH board member Viola Jackson-Cleveland said. “When you have to decide on dinner or paying rent, that is a sad statement for our community.”

It’s the age-old problem of supply and demand. The rental supply is not meeting the demand, driving up rental rates. Civic leaders recognized the problem in 2014 and began to collaborate to address the need. In early 2015 the team finalized the Ottawa Housing Next document with data supporting the need for affordable housing. This study shows that while poverty plays a role in the need for affordable housing, the reverse is also true: the lack of affordable housing is creating poverty. Housing Next was implemented in November 2017.

The ACEH Board has chosen to face this issue head on. After hosting a forum in October, the board is looking for ways to keep the conversation going, partners to collaborate with and answers that will help sooner than later. If you have a question or suggestion or want to be part of the (un)affordable housing discussion, please email aceh@harmonyalliance.org.

"We need diversity of thought in the world to face the new challenges." - Tim Berners-Lee