Posts Tagged 'Southeast Michigan'
[Thanks to Roy Jones and Joshua Elling for the information!]
Representative Alberta Tinsley-Talabi (3-Detroit) joined the Jefferson East Business Association (JEBA) for their Annual Spring Clean on June 4, 2011. The representative and her executive assistant, Roy Jones (who also volunteered with Detroit Habitat this summer), helped the JEBA staff and community volunteers clear four major area dump sites, collect trash, dispose of over 700 used tires, and conduct maintenance of the neighborhood Community Art Lot.
In addition to working at the cleanup, Rep. Talabi also returned a month later on July 2, 2011 for the 8th Annual Jazzin’ on Jefferson street festival. She graced the stage to speak encouraging words about Detroit’s future, then introduced one of the jazz acts. Says JEBA Executive Director Joshua R. Elling, “It was an honor and a privilege to work with the Honorable Alberta Tinsley-Talabi this past summer and JEBA looks forward to continuing that relationship.”
This year, State Representative Lesia Liss (28-Warren) volunteered her time at Warren Summerfest, a one-day event in the city of Warren that gives back to underprivileged families and children. At the event they are able to get one of the 1,000 book bags full of school supplies given away each year, haircuts, groceries, and much more.
According to the Summerfest website:
Summerfest began in 2004 with a group of people desiring to touch their city. It has grown to dozens of businesses, churches, schools and government officials working together to touch the needs of families in the city of Warren and Southeast Michigan. Since its inception the crime rate in our city has plummeted. The number of people attending has increased dramatically each year, and the stories of lives touched by this outpouring of love abound.
As needs and demands for help grow each year, we are continually looking for sponsors and volunteers to partner with us. Together, we believe we can bring hope to the hopeless, healing to the hurting, and freedom to those overwhelmed by the stress of life. With your help, we believe we can make a positive impact in our world.
Representative Bradford Jacobsen (46-Oxford) is a longtime supporter of his hometown’s downtown development association, the Oxford DDA. According to DDA director Madonna Van Fossen, Rep. Jacobsen has helped throughout this summer with planning and problem-solving for the organization’s many public events, such as Concerts in the Park and Celebrate Oxford.
“He’s there for us whenever we need him,” says Van Fossen, noting that he makes a point to stop by the office to check in and offer assistance whenever he is in their building. “He and Senator Marleau are great supporters.”
[Adapted from a press release by Rich Adams.]
The 17th annual Western Wayne County Senior Celebration Day will take place Friday, Oct. 14. The event is organized by Representative John Walsh (19-Livonia) and Senior Citizen Achievement Needs, a local nonprofit organization for seniors.
“I am honored to have a hand in organizing this thank-you for seniors who have had such an impact on this community,” Walsh said. “This is not only a fun-filled celebration, but it is also very informative. Seniors can learn about nonprofit groups, businesses, health care organizations and more. I truly appreciate all the sponsors that make this important event possible.”
Tickets are now on sale for the event, which will take place at Laurel Manor Banquet & Conference Center, located on Schoolcraft Road west of Newburgh, in Livonia. The celebration runs from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 and may be purchased at the Livonia Senior Center. Ticket price includes a hot meal, bingo, music by Mike Wolverton, exhibitor booths featuring novelties, influenza shots, a raffle, games and prizes, and a free cloth bag in which to carry the items.
 On July 16th, Representative Nancy Jenkins (57-Clayton) participated in the 3rd Lowe’s Women Build Clinic with Habitat for Humanity of Lenawee County. This was an opportunity for women to learn the skills involved in applying vinyl siding. The women at the clinic learned carpentry skills and built a potting shed from the ground up.
Executive Director Bob Dister says, “We eagerly anticipate a future Women Build project and will include Nancy in all that we do.”
[Adapted from an article in The Farmington-Farmington Hills Patch by Joni Hubred-Golden. Read the full article here.]
Jim and Lisa Smith have lived in their Farmington Hills home for many years, and they knew the time was coming when they might not be able to stay there. Water leaking from the roof had damaged the home’s interior; exterior buildings needed paint; and the windows needed replacing. While the Smiths had always done everything on their own, for the first time, they needed help.
 During the past month, Rebuilding Together Oakland has provided that help. With a grant from the Sears Heroes at Home program, which supports military veterans, active-duty service personnel and their families, the nonprofit organization martialed an army of volunteers to give the Smiths’ home a new lease on life.
“This gift is gonna allow me … the ability to stay here,” an overwhelmed Jim Smith said Saturday. He spoke to more than 30 volunteers who were preparing to put some of the finishing touches on home repairs. Among the volunteers were State Representative Vicki Barnett (37-Farmington Hills), U.S. Representative Gary Peters (9-Bloomfield Twp.), and Oakland County Commissioner Jim Nash.
Volunteer Dan Harmon said Rebuilding Together is a national group with 200 affiliates that focus on rebuilding or rehabilitating homes for low-income, senior citizen or military veteran homeowners, among others. The program follows federal income guidelines but also takes other factors, such as medical bills, into consideration in choosing projects. The Smith family certainly qualifies on the military front; in addition to Jim Smith’s Army service, son Michael served with the Navy in the Persian Gulf, and son John is a Marine currently stationed overseas.
On Saturday, volunteers worked on 50 homes in Oakland County, including 11 in Farmington Hills. Many of the projects started and stopped on the same day, Harmon said, but the Smiths’ home took a little longer.
“We’ve been here about four weeks,” he said. “Each house has a captain, a co-captain and a site coordinator, and they visit with the homeowner about the scope of the work. The homeowner signs off on the plan. … Anything we start in a home, we finish.” For the Smiths, that meant window replacements done by Hanson’s, a refurbished kitchen and bathroom, repair of water damage — including drywall and painting — as well as scraping and painting sheds and some landscaping.
Rep. Peters presented Smith with a flag flown over the Capitol building in Washington, and he also went to work scraping paint. “This is my third year,” Peters said. “I got involved when we learned about what (the organization) was doing. This represents the best of community action. It’s neighbors helping neighbors … reminiscent of the barn-raisings of past generations.”
On June 13, Senator James Marleau (12-Lake Orion) joined Oakland County Habitat for Humanity on the first day of their annual “Building on Faith Week“. By the end of the week, they were able to build three new homes for families in need, with the help and support of about 40 local churches.
 [This story is adapted from Detroit WXYZ's article, which you can read here.]
On July 30, Rep. Lisa Howze (2-Detroit) donned more comfortable clothing and spent several hours with Habitat for Humanity Detroit helping with their 25th Anniversary Blitz Build. Rep. Howze is one of the four legislative advisors for Legislators Building Communities.
The Blitz Build kicked off on Monday, July 25th, and has a short-term goal of building four homes in four weeks. The long-term goal is to build or rehabilitate at least 500 homes in the next five years. That is significant considering Habitat Detroit has built or rehabilitated more than 300 homes in the last 25 years.
“We’ve served more than 1,000 children…who might otherwise be in lead-contaminated homes,” said Vincent Tilford, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity Detroit.
“We build and rehab homes with extremely high construction standards to ensure that these homeowners have a safe, energy efficient home that will result in low maintenance costs throughout the years of ownership,” added Tilford.
Habitat for Humanity Detroit is a non-profit, ecumenical Christian-based, housing ministry that provides low-income, working families the opportunity to purchase modest, affordable housing in which to raise their families.
 
[This story has been adapted from articles by The Oakland Press and The Detroit News.]
On August 15, former State Representative Tim Melton (29- Auburn Hills) joined a group of AT&T employees and retirees to present backpacks filled with school supplies to some Pontiac schoolchildren at Murphy Park Day Camp. Last year, the group — the AT&T Michigan Pioneers — raised money to buy and give more than 1,100 Michigan students backpacks.
Rep. Melton himself donated 50 book bags to the Murphy Park Day Camp.
 
On Friday, August 12, Rep. Rick Olson (55-Saline) joined Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley to help with one of their builds at 1256 S. Harris. He had the opportunity to work alongside a crew from Johnson Controls, a local company who is sponsoring the project and providing all of the volunteer labor.
Megan Rodgers, Development Associate for Habitat of Huron Valley, was very impressed with the representative’s willingness to help out. “He contacted me last Monday and ended up coming out to our project on Friday. He worked hard the whole day, from 8am-4pm, and was just awesome!”
The house at 1256 S. Harris is a formerly foreclosed home in the Nancy Park neighborhood. This single story, 3 bedroom, 1 bath, 1 car garage home is receiving new siding, doors, drywall, cabinetry, flooring, mechanicals and a roof, and will be renovated to Energy Star standards, saving the new homeowners an average of $800/yr in utility bills.
Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley (HHHV) is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization that works to provide affordable home ownership opportunities for hardworking and deserving families in Washtenaw County. With the help of thousands of supporters, they have helped nearly 100 families in their community achieve the dream of affordable home ownership.
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