The SOURCE Supports Workers and Families, Reducing Turnover for West Michigan Businesses

Michigan ranks 33rd in labor force participation relative to other states at 62 percent. Barriers to employment include access to housing, childcare and elder care responsibilities, and a lack of reliable transportation. 

Enter The SOURCE and its team of resource navigators, who provide support and solutions. Since its inception in 2003, The SOURCE has been helping people stay employed and thrive while also helping businesses stabilize their workforce to support growth and job creation in the region. 

The SOURCE helps employees overcome barriers to employment, alleviating the mental load and supporting their goals so they can “show up at work and be focused and engaged,” says Alison Freas, Executive Director of The SOURCE.

Founded by local manufacturers to find an answer to address their employees’ challenges finding childcare, The SOURCE now provides services well beyond its original mission. Employees of member companies can find housing and transportation support as well as financial literacy education, free tax preparation, and utility and rental assistance. 

Supporting Workers, Reducing Turnover

The SOURCE is funded mainly by the contributions of its 26 member companies. Those contributions entitle over 15,000 employees to The SOURCE’s services and boast a 300% average return on investment in lower turnover and fewer days of work missed.

The post-pandemic landscape has brought the need for this support sharply into focus. The extra federal dollars made available during the height of the COVID-19 crisis, including additional SNAP benefits, have since returned to pre-pandemic levels, leaving many households with unmet needs.

“With the rising cost of everything, there are many people that started to struggle in the pandemic and have been struggling since,” says Freas, “Food actually skyrocketed from not being a top 10 [request] ever…to being the number three reason why somebody called our office last year.”

The SOURCE is also supporting workers facing inflation by piloting a match grant car purchase program, as well as a home ownership assistance program with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority that can be stacked with other benefits.

Personalized Support to Meet Unique Individual Needs

Freas attributes The SOURCE’s success to their team’s personalized approach to each worker’s unique situation. When a need arises, employees and resource navigators meet one on one to find the best solution. 

For example, if an employee’s car breaks down and they no longer have access to reliable transportation to and from work, they can work with a resource navigator to find affordable car repairs and a temporary carpool. 

A personalized approach can lead to better, more holistic support for a person in need, Freas says.

“Maybe they need car repair but as we start to get to know them a little bit we understand that maybe there’s really more than just the car repair: there’s a couple other things that they could use some support with.”

This unique approach to employee engagement provides security and stability to weather crises so workers can take full advantage of the region’s employment opportunities.

Building on the growth and success of the organization, The SOURCE will open a Southeast Michigan operation later in 2025. They’ve also been invited to participate in the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s working group on workplace barriers in an effort to share insights and replicate the model across the state.