Our Location
Please note: staff are currently working virtually.
118 Commerce Ave SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Our Staff
Contact us at entf@hwmuw.org.
Wende Randall (she, her, hers)
Director
wrandall@hwmuw.org
Emily Madsen (she, her, hers)
Data Analyst
emadsen@hwmuw.org
Janelle Vandergrift (she, her, hers)
Kent County Food Policy Coordinator
jvandergrift@hwmuw.org
Nick Dobkowski (he, him, his)
Administrative Assistant
ndobkowski@hwmuw.org
Our History
The Kent County Essential Needs Task Force (ENTF) was formed in 1982 in response to the struggles that people living in Kent County residents were facing to meet their basic needs. ENTF focuses on system change with an emphasis on collective impact and the interconnectedness of all systems.
Lead Convening Partners
ENTF works closely with other local and statewide collaborative systems-change endeavors, including:
Our Governance Committee
The Governance Committee of the ENTF was formed in 2013. Seven organizations came together to take on leadership roles and guide ENTF. A formal Memorandum of Understanding was created and Heart of West Michigan United Way was named the fiduciary and employer of record for ENTF. The seven participating organizations are:
- Co-Chair: City of Grand Rapids - Connie Bohatch
- Co-Chair: Kent County - Paul Petr
- West Michigan Works! - Tawana Brown
- City of Wyoming - Rebecca Rynbrandt
- Heart of West Michigan United Way - Michelle VanDyke
- Department of Health and Human Services - Tracey Fountain
- The Salvation Army - Pilar Meyer-Dunning