Thanksgiving at the Congregational Church – an album by Maralyn Fink
On Thursday, Thanksgiving, I decided to go to the Congregational Church to do a story and take some pictures and maybe even have dinner with them.
I arrived a little early to accomplish my goal.
This dinner has three local churches that put this on, First Congregational, First Methodist and St Joseph Catholic Church.
I could see that this was a very organized team of people who volunteer their time. Walking into the dining area, the tables were very nicely decorated with Thanksgiving décor, and the tables were very homey.
The group starts planning in September, and this was their 6th year. The attendance is variable, they and have had 200 seatings in the past. There are two serving times, 12 noon followed by a 1:30 seating. They have reservations and welcome walk -ins.
Another option is a meals to go option by calling in, but the meals are not delivered. People who arrive early are treated in the welcome center with breads and relishes until the start time. 911 is given a call to invite anyone on duty with the Fire Department and the Police Department and the Ambulance Service to join them for a meal.
Sparrow-Clinton Hospital prepares the turkeys, and Meijer’s provides the relishes. Meanwhile, First Methodist is in charge of the pie making. Each Church plays an important role in this important day.
Donations are accepted and are used for start-up money for the following year and as a supplement for Basic Needs.
Many Thanks go to the volunteers, churches, Batterbee Cakes, Big Boy, Dewitt Meijer’s, Gordon Foods, Kiwanis Club, Kroger’s, Phillips Orchards, St Johns High School National Honor Society, Good Wins Club, Wal-Mart, Sparrow-Clinton physicians and staff, and Livingston Gourds.
I dined with Dr. Charles and Lois Graham and had a great time, especially talking about the good ole days. Thank you, Lois, for the information and the rest of the crew for letting me take the pictures.
This years Co-coordinator was Guven Witteveen.
https://picasaweb.google.com/110845930262453987007/15112402?authuser=0&feat=directlink
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Watch a video courtesy of Guven Witteveen
https://www.facebook.com/179850365400481/videos/1066035933448582/
Law Enforcement Agencies participate in Fill a Cop Car – Saturday, December 5th
On Saturday, December 5th from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Law Enforcement officers throughout Clinton County will be asking for your help. Their goal is to Fill Our Cop Cars with groceries.
Officers will be at your local grocery stores and police departments with the purpose of helping to fill our local food banks with non-perishable food items.
Police Officers chose their profession so that they can help others. During this time of year they often experience families in need but don’t have the ability to help directly. By filling the cop cars, they can see to it that those who need a helping hand can get it.
They are asking that you purchase an extra item or two and help them help those that are less fortunate. The back seats of the patrol vehicles are usually used to transport people who have run afoul of the law. Help them put the seats to good use.
Officers will be at the following locations in Clinton County:
– Kroger, 900 S. Business 127, St. Johns
– Wal-Mart, 1165 Superior Drive, St. Johns
– DeWitt Township Hall, 1401 W. Herbison Road, DeWitt
– Bath Township Hall, 14480 Webster Road, Bath
– Montecello’s Market, 16912 Marsh Road, Bath
– Village Food Pride, 501 S. Main Street, Ovid
All food collected at these locations will be donated to the food banks at Capital Area Community Services in St. Johns and Redeemer United Methodist Church in DeWitt. The officers of the St. Johns Police Department, Clinton County Sheriff’s Department, DeWitt Township Police Department, DeWitt City Police Department, Bath Township Police Department, and Ovid Police Department appreciate your generosity during this holiday season.
SJHS Class of ’85 raises $4,500 for Foundation for Excellence
The St. Johns High School Class of 1985 celebrated their 30th Class Reunion during homecoming weekend October 2-3. Prior to the reunion, the class alumni association launched the first-ever St. Johns Alumni Giving Challenge as a fundraiser to benefit the St. Johns Schools Foundation for Excellence.
“The class of 1985 wanted to give back to the school system and honor the faculty that laid the educational foundation for our lives and careers,” said Brian O’Connor, president of the class of 1985 alumni association. “The St. Johns Alumni Giving Challenge was created to inspire fellow alumni to support student achievement and the commitment to excellence of the St. Johns school system.”
The reunion planning committee explored options for where donations would make the most significant impact and after consultation with high school principal Mark Palmer, the Class of 1985 selected St. Johns Schools Foundation for Excellence as the recipient of the alumni giving challenge due to its purpose, which is; to generate funds that will be used to provide learning materials and opportunities for the students of the St. Johns School district that go above and beyond ordinary instruction. The Foundation uses money to fund grant requests from both faculty and students. In the past, the Foundation has provided funds for equipment (e.g. new tympani drums for the band and orchestra), educational field trips, and the visiting author program among other funded projects.
Students and faculty apply for small, medium and large grants from the Foundation for Excellence, depending on the scope and cost of their requests. The Foundation provides an essential resource to cover expenses that are not in the annual operating budget.
The Foundation endeavors to meet needs in these areas of concentration: Literacy, Career and College Readiness, Health, Safety, and Emotional Development, Athletics and Physical Fitness Development and Artistic Expression.
The class of ’85 reunion planning committee utilized a combination of efforts to raise funds. They started by creating a CrowdRise.com campaign to accept donations online using a credit or debit card. By setting up the Foundation for Excellence as the recipient, all donors were issued a receipt confirming their donation for tax deduction purposes. CrowdRise also has the ability for graduates to invite friends, family and colleagues to donate to the campaign as well. The remaining funds were raised through cash donations and the support of Bruno’s Bar, the location of the reunion gathering, which is owned and operated by class of ’85 alumnae Shana Mazzolini and her husband Dean.
The Foundation for Excellence began in 1985. For many years the foundation was funded by teachers and administrators who donated to the program through automatic payroll deductions. Many of those teachers and administrators have since retired so the foundation finds itself in a position where funding is slowing down considerably. With the formation of the SJHS Alumni Giving Challenge, graduates are challenged to organize a campaign for their graduating class to keep the foundation funded as a thriving resource for teachers and students for years to come.
The Foundation is a registered 501(c) (3) non-profit organization making all donations tax-deductible.
Walmart Employee Recognition
When it comes to giving time, Judy Minner trips the alarm on the Walmart employee Volunteerism Always Pays program.
The special plan (VAP) awards donations in honor of employees who volunteer on behalf of charitable agencies or community support groups based on time spent in that effort. Minner accumulated 100 volunteer hours, meriting a $500.00 Walmart gift split between Sparrow Clinton Hospital Auxiliary and Clinton Area Special Advocates, the voice of children in foster care (CASA).
Brian Greenlees, Walmart Manager; Angie Bealls, Co-President, SCH Auxiliary; Minner and Kelly Schafer, Executive Director, CASA.
Frontier offers higher speeds to commercial customers
Frontier Communications (NASDAQ: FTR), the City of St. Johns, Michigan, Quest Software and the Clinton County Economic Alliance have partnered to bring a new age of high-speed Internet to the city. Business customers in the St. Johns Certified Industrial Park will now be served by a new all fiber-optic infrastructure, making the Park one of the most technologically advanced business sites in Michigan.
“Frontier was selected by the city based on its advanced communications technology and local engagement model that provides a more responsive and transparent customer experience,” said Frontier General Manager Kurt Theisen. “Frontier is a 100 percent, U.S.-based, pro-veteran workforce, and all customers are served by technicians who live in the local community.
“The blend of community-based knowledge and technical expertise made the city and Frontier natural partners. “Frontier is an important economic development ally for our city, empowering our local businesses and companies to now compete on a global scale,” said City Manager Dennis LaForest.
“St. Johns is demonstrating leadership and vision by understanding the importance of community growth, enabling job retention, and ensuring businesses have access to the latest gigabit technology,” said Dru Mitchell, President and CEO of the Clinton County Economic Alliance.
“When St. Johns and Frontier started collaborating, there was no doubt that the St. Johns Certified Industrial Park would be the area’s top high-tech development,” said Quest Owner Ron Zyzelewski. “The Park is a unique development that with help from Frontier, offers the `big technology’ businesses need. Quest is delighted to be a part of this project at the ground level and looks forward to bringing more than 100 new jobs to the local community.”
The City of St. Johns Certified Industrial Park is equipped with Frontier’s full product suite with scalable gigabit data services. In addition, Frontier will offer robust business solutions such as WAN, LAN, point to point, direct internet access (DIA), gigabit Ethernet services, hosted VoIP, backup and sharing, network security, and a wide selection of phone systems and Internet security solutions.
Frontier, the City of St. Johns and the Clinton County Economic Alliance share a vision of a connected community built on a state-of-the-art and expansive fiber-optic network and are excited about the many economic advantages this infrastructure will bring to the area.