By trade, Julia Van Domelen and her late husband, Bill, were in the restaurant business. Along the way, however, they began nourishing people in a very different way. Nearly 30 years ago, the couple established a private foundation in their home state of Michigan dedicated to helping families break the cycle of poverty by addressing critical needs in health, education, and housing.
Bill Van Domelen passed away in 2015, but Julia has continued advancing initiatives that have had—and continue to promise—major impacts on families throughout Michigan and Naples. “Our biggest challenge is knowing whether we are easing the pain or breaking the cycle,” Van Domelen says.
In Naples, Van Domelen saw the power of creating lasting change through Grace Place, a faith-based social service organization. She first became involved as a volunteer 15 years ago, when the organization provided after-school programs in portable classrooms so deteriorated that it was forced to close them. Through her foundation, she provided a transformational gift that helped launch Grace Place into the multigenerational, multi-service community hub it is today.
“Grace Place is a great example of the value of education, where you are not only changing the life of a child, but also changing the family—and when you’re changing the family, you’re changing the whole community,” says Domelen, who also serves as a trustee of the Naples Children & Education Foundation and Naples Winter Wine Festival.
Her next endeavor focuses on supporting the construction of a new health education center at the Neighborhood Health Clinic, which serves Collier County’s working poor. The project is expected to break ground this fall. “There are chronic problems that affect people who live in poverty. The most glaring example is diabetes,” she says.
Van Domelen continues to examine housing challenges in the region, an issue she has worked on extensively in Michigan. Through her foundation, she has helped purchase and revitalize apartments that are offered to low-income families. Rent is based on the state minimum wage, and tenants contribute through maintenance work and other responsibilities.
“I like it when we can find a program that really works and is sustainable,” she says. Her commitment to creating meaningful, long-term solutions reflects a lifelong dedication to improving communities and changing lives.