Meet Jackie Navarette
As a child, Jackie grew up helping her family run Mi Favorita, a historic grocery store in Eastcore. Her work with 3Sixty is a natural outpouring of her family heritage and her own life journey.
“I’ve lived here six years but I’ve been around the area my entire life. I would come to see my grandparents and find somewhere to play … they opened the store in 1995” Jackie said.
Jackie now lives in Eastcore with her children, one block away from Mi Favorita.
“I like this place because it’s walking distance from everything. It’s very convenient. It’s beautiful. I’ve gotten to really know and love the neighborhood for exactly what it has to offer and what it is and what it is becoming. It’s a lot cleaner now. It’s very diverse. It’s just a really good place to raise kids,” Jackie said.
Jackie works alongside her parents, Irene and Mario, as well as her sister to run the store. Jackie’s grandfather settled in this part of Holland and opened the store to serve workers who came for agriculture jobs in Michigan.
“My grandpa moved over here because of work—he worked on the turkey farms… My grandpa jumped on the opportunity to start the store. I think it’s because he saw the growing [Hispanic] community here and he saw the necessity for something like that,” Jackie said.
After going through a big life transition, Jackie wanted more purpose in her life. She worked out every day at the gym and volunteered with her church to pass out free meals.
“I started going through a time of finding myself. My spiritual relationship as well was a priority to me. As time went on, I started figuring out more of my calling. And it led me here,” Jackie said. “My life is very busy as it is, but something kept pushing me to get involved.”
In the past, fliers for 3Sixty events caught Jackie’s attention. In the spring of 2021, Mi Favorita sponsored the neighborhood clean-up event by giving gift cards to volunteers. By the fall of 2021 she was planning a Dia De Los Muertos event with 3Sixty. And she joined the Neighborhood Advocacy Team (NAT) in 2022.
As a part of the NAT, Jackie would like to help more Hispanic people participate in the life and work of 3Sixty. “I think we can all make a difference,” she said.
“I often struggle with a prideful thing and I don’t know how to ask for help,” Jackie said. But she believes that modeling vulnerability helps others know they can ask for help, too.
The Hispanic community is a large and historic population in Eastcore. Jackie says some people are still hesitant to participate in community organizations. Sometimes there is a language barrier and sometimes it’s just a lack of familiarity with the organization that holds people back. Jackie knows Mi Favorita is a trusted fixture in the community and she wants to model neighborhood involvement as a part of her role.
Jackie has already helped facilitate community listening events for Spanish and bilingual speakers. She helps 3Sixty hear from neighbors what they love about Eastcore and what more they desire for it.
In the future, Jackie envisions Eastcore being full of color. She would love to see more grass and flowers and murals. She’s working with the NAT to bring more art to the neighborhood.
“I think 3Sixty is a really good organization. You can tell that everybody who helps out genuinely wants to make this a better place. I think moving forward, a lot could be accomplished,” Jackie said.
