Staying vibrant, economically viable - Holland Sentinel Article
Published in Holland Sentinel on Sunday, January 6, 2008
By STEVE RALPH
Holland Young Professionals isn’t merely a social club. The local nonprofit has served the community in many ways in its first four years.
“We plug ourselves directly into things that are already happening,” said Mat Nguyen, group co-founder.
The most recent example — Park Theatre’s third annual New Year’s Eve party, which HYP (pronounced “hip”) helped sponsor and organize for the first time in 2007.
“We had just over 100 people there, more than any other year,” said Katy Nguyen, HYP board member and former Park Theatre general manager. “We raised $3,000 for the Park Theatre.”
HYP’s involvement made the difference in the event’s success, she said.
“Our goal was to create a community for young professionals in the area. So far we’ve been pretty successful,” said Barry Rice, president and co-founder.
Through networking, professional development seminars, social events and a scholarship fund, HYP hopes to attract young professional adults to the area, which members say is key to keeping Holland a vibrant, attractive, economically sound place to live and work into the future.
A central element of that mission includes serving the community. The group pairs social and networking events with philanthropy. The Community Action House is one beneficiary of HYP’s efforts.
