Announcing…

As partners and supporters of Fresh Coast Alliance, the Board of Directors is announcing with thankfulness and anticipation the addition of Joy Sparks as the incoming Executive Director of Fresh Coast Alliance, effective January 16th, 2024.

Joy has been a long time West Michigan resident and most recently has served as the Field Director for Prison Fellowship and has been very involved in working at the Muskegon Correctional Facility. Joy has also worked as an educator, both in the Muskegon Heights and Grand Rapids Public schools and in educational leadership development with the Flippen Group. Also - and perhaps most importantly - Joy loves Jesus and has a mature faith that will ground her leadership efforts with us. As the only faith-based entity in our area doing the work we (specifically) do, this was a nonnegotiable criteria for the Executive Director’s role and will enable Joy's ability to focus on how we can better partner with the other faith-based nonprofits in West Michigan.

As the Executive Director of Fresh Coast Alliance, Joy will be responsible for the strategic leadership of both Fresh Coast Alliance and ACAC and working with the staff members of both organizations to continue to “reinvent reentry and recovery” in West Michigan. Fresh Coast and ACAC provide safe and sober housing, a vast array of reentry and recovery related programing, employment assistance, recovery coaching, mental health and substance use disorder therapy and much more.

Joy brings a wealth of useful experience and transferable skills to the Fresh Coast and ACAC organizations, as well as deep connections in the community that she will use to build out the working relationships between other public and private partners in the reentry and recovery community. Commenting on her new role, Sparks stated, “I’m excited to use the experiences I’ve had and relationships I’ve developed to make Fresh Coast Alliance an even more valuable asset to West Michigan’s reentry and recovery efforts. Helping those coming out of incarceration and addiction become healthy and productive members of our community is why Fresh Coast Alliance and ACAC exist.”

This begins an exciting new chapter in the story of Fresh Coast Alliance and ACAC – one that will see us redouble our efforts to live out the truth found in Matthew 25:37 – 40, “I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.” We ask that you pray for Joy’s transition into this demanding role, for Joy and her family as they adjust to the challenges this job entails and for the entire staff of Fresh Coast and ACAC as they get to know Joy and learn how to work effectively together.

Your prayerful financial support of FCA is both greatly needed and appreciated. As we approach the end of 2023, we would ask that you consider your level of financial support – we have several significant facility related needs that must be addressed – and that you take advantage of the available $50,000 matching funds that have been made available. Every dollar that donated between now and the end of the year will be matched, up to the $50,000 level – effectively doubling your gift.

Complete programing and services details can be found at https://www.freshcoastalliance.org and https://www.acacsite.com.

For media inquiries, please contact Candy Gibson: candyg@freshcoastalliance.org or 231-286-1992.