Social justice awards honor people and organizations advancing equity

In what may have been the most feel-good meeting in Holland City Council chambers all year, the Holland Human Relations Commission presented its annual Social Justice Awards before a standing-room-only audience.

The event was held before the official council meeting on Jan. 21, during the week the community observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Residents, educators, students, and local leaders gathered to honor individuals and organizations who create practical solutions to inequity across Holland.

In their 27 years, the Social Justice Awards have recognized 128 individuals and organizations that promote equal opportunity and access for all residents. The award categories are housing, education, employment, government relations, community relations, health services, and accessibility. 

The Holland Youth Advisory Council selects the recipient of the Youth Social Justice Award.

“These recipients show what’s possible when people commit to practical, community-centered change,” the commission says.

Education: Cynthia Martinez

Filmmaker Cynthia Martinez is passionate about highlighting the intersection of diversity and education by bringing forward the often-overlooked stories of Latino and first-generation college students.  

Her 2023 documentary, First Voice Generation, follows three Holland-area TRIO  students as they wrestle with identity, belonging, and their college dreams as children of  Mexican immigrants. 

Her film has garnered awards, including Best Independent Feature Documentary at the Central Michigan International  Film Festival and Best Feature Documentary from Lady Filmmakers, plus recognition at the Mexican American Television and Film Festival. Martinez received the “Arts in the  Community” award from the Hispanic Latino Commission of Michigan during this year’s  50th-anniversary celebration. 

Her openness about her own journey as a granddaughter of Mexican migrant farmworkers who became a first-generation college student helps others, especially youth, feel seen and underscores the importance of representation among educators and community leaders. 

Martinez says her background as the granddaughter of Mexican migrant farmworkers and a first-generation college graduate helps students feel seen and less alone.

“I stood in the fields picking blueberries before I ever stepped on a college campus,” Martinez says. “Programs like TRIO changed my life, and this film is my way of giving back to the students who are still fighting to be seen.”

Government Relations: Doug Zylstra

Since 2019, Doug Zylstra has served as an Ottawa County Commissioner representing the residents in the City of Holland. A consistent advocate for the marginalized in the 

community, Doug has been a strong voice supporting policies that promote equal access and opportunity and has been central to many of the positive changes at the county level that impact Holland’s most vulnerable populations. 

He has been an outstanding advocate for public health services and worked to help fund the Ottawa County Housing Fund and the ODC Childcare expansion using American Rescue Plan funding. 

In his acceptance remarks, Zylstra says change grows from the community, not from elected offices.

“What happens at the dais is often simply a reflection of the work already happening in our community,” Zylstra says. “Real change doesn’t start with commissioners — it starts with residents who refuse to accept unfairness and persist in seeking solutions to problems we can fix.”

Zylstra says the work reflects the responsibility of local leaders to listen and to represent the community honestly.

“My job isn’t to dictate outcomes,” Zylstra says. “It’s to represent this community with integrity and to stay accountable to our shared values.”

Community Relations: Women Who Care Holland Zeeland

Women Who Care Holland Zeeland demonstrates that when a community of like-minded women gathers and pools their modest resources, without respect to color, creed, national origin, or any other artificial distinction, they can make transformational change in their community. 

Now celebrating their 15th anniversary, Women Who Care Holland Zeeland has awarded more than $1.35 million to more than 40 local charities. The members gather quarterly and vote on nominations for the collective donation. 

Recent recipients include  70×7 Recovery, Ready for School, Renew Therapeutic Riding Center, Grant Me Hope,  Children’s Advocacy Center, Mosaic Counseling, Camp Sunshine, and Escape  Ministries. 

Members say their philanthropy collective illustrates that collective giving can scale impact. The group gathers quarterly, pools individual donations, and votes on a local nonprofit to support.

Health Services: Reach for Recovery

For the past 50 years, Reach for Recovery has been on the front lines helping individualsand families in Holland who struggle with alcoholism and chemical dependency. Their dedicated team understands that addiction doesn’t discriminate and that combating stigma in substance use disorder and mental health can feel like navigating a labyrinth of judgment, misunderstanding, and isolation.  

Accessibility: Kayla Gearring

A transformational leader within Holland Public Schools, special education teacher  Kayla Gearring builds environments where every student feels seen, welcomed, and included. She revitalized and expanded the district’s Peer-to-Peer program, creating supportive structures that bring together students of all abilities to learn, collaborate,  and build meaningful relationships. 

Gearring also launched Unified Sports at Holland High School, providing inclusive athletic opportunities where students of varying abilities play on the same teams. Through both efforts, she has broken down social and cultural barriers, challenged stigmas, and encouraged students to celebrate one another’s strengths. 

Centered on dignity, respect, and belonging, Gearring’s leadership is evidenced in a broad range of school-based efforts that elevate student voice, promote access, and strengthen equity. She collaborates closely with staff to design inclusive learning environments, partners with families to support diverse learner needs, and regularly advocates for accessible opportunities within school programming. 

Her programs are rooted in equal participation, ensuring that students who have traditionally been marginalized experience connection, achievement, and community. 

Youth Social Justice Award: Anotidaishe “Ano” Mangwiro

Ano Mangwiro, a senior at Holland High School, was selected by her peers on the Holland Youth Advisory Council.

Mangwiro was born in Africa and raised across Africa and Europe. That experience has given her a global perspective. 

She has dedicated more than 150 volunteer hours supporting food distributions, foster care drives, and other assistance programs.

Mangwiro participates in the city’s International Relations Commission, Student Leaders Initiating Change, and the Youth Advisory Council. She advances youth-led solutions that address bullying, substance use, and cross-cultural understanding.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Diane Kooiker

Diane Kooiker, who is retiring this year, has expanded access and dignity during her 40 years at Herrick District Library.

One example is the library’s partnership with Community Action House. The nonprofit places trained social workers inside the library to help residents apply for jobs, housing, food assistance, and public benefits. It’s a model the Michigan Library Association calls the “gold standard” for service integration.

Kooiker says the work is about connection and working together, rather than the effort of one person. 

“I don’t feel like I personally deserve this award, but I believe our library does,” Kooiker says. “We connect people to resources, to each other, and to opportunities. When we collaborate creatively and treat one another with dignity and respect, we don’t just build a stronger library. We build a stronger community.”