Depending on the dictionary you’re using, an oasis can be defined as a refuge from the usual or challenging, a calm and pleasant spot in the middle of a hectic place, or somewhere to find safety and sustenance. Kalamazoo’s Peace House is all of those things, by intent. It’s designed to serve the kids of the urban Eastside neighborhood with fun, friendship and learning.
Peace House was launched in 2009 by two couples who had attended Kalamazoo College, moved away from Kalamazoo and returned, choosing the Eastside neighborhood after sharing their vision with and seeking input from community leaders, including Kalamazoo city commissioners Don Cooney and Jeanne Hess.
“We were just starting to raise our own kids and wanted to create something that we could do at the same time,” says Molly Mechtenberg, who is married to and has two children with Jerry Berrigan (son of the late Phillip Berrigan, a famous peace activist). The other co-founders are Jen and Mike DeWaele.
Peace House is located on Phelps Avenue and includes the couples’ two homes, a repurposed garage, and outdoor yards and decks that host both summertime and school-year sessions centered on boosting success for K-12 students from the neighborhood. It serves about 50 youth who come and go as they are able.
“The idea is that kids can bring homework, and we and our volunteers work with them on that, or they can just come and play,” says Berrigan. “Not everybody’s ready to sit down right after school and do homework. We’re open to the energy of the day.”
Jen DeWaele emphasizes the importance of Peace House’s longevity. “We have a lot of talents, but what we’re really good at is just being here a long time,” she says. “We’ve become a dependable fixture, and even people who’ve never sent their kids here feel like we belong to them, belong to the neighborhood.”
Jennifer Bradley, a single mother of four, praises the founders of Peace House and its volunteers. “They are genuine people,” she says. “It’s important to me that my kids are around people who are genuine and show them respect. I really trust them. I know that my kids are safe here.”
Bradley’s son Anthony, 16, started visiting Peace House at age 6 and now serves on its Youth Advisory Board, which is made up of 17 teens who work with the adults on programming and help supervise the younger children during the summer. They earn $16 per hour for one three-hour shift each week.
“It’s a good opportunity that’s preparing him for real work,” says Bradley. “He enjoys it, and he takes it seriously. I love to see him get up on time, put on his Peace House shirt and get down here on his own. He’s set an example for his younger sister and brothers.”
Guided by youth
Mike DeWaele sees the youth board as an essential part of the program. “The Youth Advisory Board has been a huge stabilizing factor, helping us with consistency and even attendance,” he says. “They help ensure we’re doing things that are interesting and fun, and since they know the kids so well, they can help us understand when somebody’s having a hard day.
“This is our second generation of teens, so those who were here at the beginning have grown up, started families of their own, and are bringing their own kids here. It’s the most wonderful thing. Every once in a while somebody will come by who we haven’t seen in a long time, and they’ll just stroll around the grounds remembering when they were here.”
Amos Mechtenberg-Berrigan was mowing a corner of the property when Encore visited. At 21, he would soon head back for his senior year at Aquinas College, where he is training to be a teacher. He said growing up at Peace House was good practice for his career.
“It was a great experience, though sometimes it could be intense, because there would be random kids in my house all the time. Overall, I was part of something good. I always had people to hang out with, and I’m still friends with a lot of people from the neighborhood.”
The Peace House summer program hosts kids four days per week for two hours, with crafts, gardening, cooking, games, field trips and optional reading time — the last of which could earn prizes for the young readers. The kids’ families were invited for weekly evening programs that included canning, gardening, cookouts and even a spa night. Fall programming, now underway, encompasses 90 minutes three times weekly.
Malachi, 15, lives across the street from Peace House and has been visiting since 2022. He was there most days this past summer as part of the Youth Advisory Board.
“We have expectations that they set for us; they help us learn how to act and be a role model. We make sure the kids get a snack, help clean up and just be a friend,” he says. “It’s a cool environment. It’s small, not too many people, mostly people I know from the neighborhood.”
Marcel, also 15, has been visiting Peace House for two years and was on the organization’s payroll this past summer. He says he’s learned a lot about working with kids.
“Some can be difficult, but I feel like overall this is a place for them to better their behavior,” he says. “It’s a very helpful environment to be in, and I feel like a lot of kids have improved. I love it here and everybody here.”
The teens are less active during the school year but still meet and have enrichment programming of their own, like team building and social and emotional learning. Peace House activities, which are provided at no charge, are funded by the Mechtenberg-Berrigan and DeWaele families and individual donations. Volunteers have been part of the mix from the beginning, helping to clear, build and renovate the spaces and serving as reading and math mentors.
Phelps Avenue neighbor Diane Carver has grandkids, nieces and nephews who visit Peace House. She speaks with pride about the reading prizes her granddaughter has received: “She’s reading way, way above her grade level.”
“It’s such a great opportunity for kids to advance in whatever they’re doing,” Carver says. “What they do for the community is just outstanding. My granddaughter and my great niece came home last week with a jar of pickles. Last night they made bouquets. It’s just all about community, interacting with each other. It’s a safe place for kids in the neighborhood to grow and learn and have fun.”
To learn more about Peace House or to volunteer or make a donation, visit peacehousekzoo.org.
