Our Story

We share a passion for our community in Southwest Michigan. We've spent the last decade directly leading or sponsoring organizations focused on supporting Cass County families and youth.

The need is great. Since 2010, the percentage of county youth living in poverty has ranged from 17-25%. Only 19% of area residents have a Bachelor’s degree. And the economic challenges are complicated by an  average travel time to work of over 24 minutes.

In 2020, many employers began allowing work from home flexibility, while families searched for easy, relaxed, and drivable vacation options. The interest in short term lake cottage rentals has surged.

This sparked an idea. What if we could combine the demand for family friendly lake rentals and services, while addressing the shortage of work and mentoring opportunities for young people?

Our response was the creation of Timothy James LLC:

• Sponsoring great family fun on the lake through TJ Lake Rentals!
• Providing concierge services to lake homeowners via TJ Property Valets.
• Employing, training, and mentoring area youth.