Alternative Spring Break

During spring break, hundreds of young adults and student volunteers from across the United States trade swim trunks for tool belts and team up with United Way to make a meaningful impact in communities across the country.


This spring we (Amanda and Michelle) will be taking some students from Northwestern Michigan College to New Orleans to help rebuild houses in Saint Bernard's Parrish. The trip is being funded largely by donations from friends and family. If you would like to help make this trip possible you can donate here. Money donated will be used for housing at the City of Hope and for the cost of transportation to and from New Orleans. Thank you.

Bake Sale Benefit Today at Bill Marsh

From Ron Smith, HR Director at Bill Marsh:

Well they say “if you build it they will come”; we have built the opportunity to help out a young man and his family and are hoping you have the chance to come participate in the biggest bake sale / silent auction you have ever seen. The cookies, cakes, pies and silent auction item have been flowing through the Bill Marsh doors and we making them available to a generous public at 9am this morning. I would list all the items, but I couldn’t do them justice. We will be open from 9am – 5pm today at the 1621 S. Garfield location. I must say this has been an amazing flurry of activity so far and can not wait to see what happens today. If you are unable to attend today’s benefit and want to participate, we are accepting donations made out to Matt Fruge and sent to the Dealership (attn: Ron Smith), I will put my address below. I also attached a news release that gives you a little back ground on Matt’s situation. Give me a call if you have questions, other wise I look forward to seeing you some time today.


If you have baked goods or silent auction items that you want to donate, we will find room for them and gladly take them today.

www.billmarshbakesale.com

Thank you for all of you that have already made this a huge success and for those that will be here today participate,

Ron Smith, PHR
Human Resources
Director, Bill Marsh Automotive Group

Donations can be sent to:
Bill Marsh Auto Group
Attn: Ron Smith
1621 S. Garfield
Traverse City, MI. 49686

Great Lakes Children Museum

There are a few time slots where we need volunteers to assist with activities and programming during the last week of December. There are 2 reason why we need a few more volunteers this year…we have scheduled special activities each day during the school break and in order for the museum to reduce expenses, each one of the administration staff had their work week reduced by one day. The last reason necessitates a few more volunteers.

Listed below are the days and times we need volunteers to assist with the activities:

1. Christmas Break Special Activities

Monday, December 27th- - - Feed the Birds
Bring a few feathered friends right up to your window with munchies you make to put outside for them. The birds will love you and so will the squirrels.
First shift (9:30 am to 12:30 pm): need 1 volunteer
Second shift (12:30 to 2:30 pm): need 2 volunteers

Tuesday, December 28th - - - Flakey Fun
Try out some wacky science experiments with snow and ice. And . . . make and take a snowy craft or two.
Morning shift time slot is filled.
Second shift: need 2 volunteer

Wednesday, December 29th - - - Geo Dome Adventure
Help construct a geodesic dome out of newspaper. You will be amazed at just how strong some geometric shapes can be!
First shift (9:30 am to 12:30 pm): need 1 volunteer
Second shift(12:30 to 2:30 pm): need 2 volunteers

Thursday, December 30th - - - Wild and Wintery
Make and take nature crafts that you can only do this time of year.
First shift(9:30 am to 12:30 pm): need 2 volunteers
Second shift (12:30 to 2:30 pm): need 1 volunteers


2. New Years Eve Day Special Activities

Friday, December 31th
Can’t wait until midnight? Countdown to 2011 at Noon amid the Great Lakes Children’s Museum festivities! It’s midnight somewhere in the world. Watch the ball drop and make some noise. New Years activities begin in the Great Lakes Room at 10:00am. (Party hats, noise makers and time capsules) Count down starts at 11:59am.
First shift (9:30 am to 12:30 pm): need 1 volunteer
Second shift (noon to 2:30 pm): need up to 3 volunteers

Kalkaska Community Campaign

Michigan Schooner Festival

Over 100 volunteers are needed to assist the Maritime Heritage Alliance during the Michigan Schooner Festival September 10-12 in Traverse City.

The festival will bring together six tall ships in West Grand Traverse Bay of Traverse City. The festival is geared for all ages and offers rides aboard the ships, evening cruises, a “Pancakes with Pirates” breakfast, kid’s activities and “Blue Shadow” will headline the entertainment with a performance on Saturday evening during the Parade of Sails.

Volunteers are needed for registration, kid’s games, cleanup, recycling, passenger/dock assistants and beverage tent.

The Maritime Heritage Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, interpreting and sharing the maritime heritage of the Great Lakes.
To sign up call Susan McQuaid at the United Way of Northwest Michigan Volunteer Center at 947-3200 Ext. 205 or send an e-mail to susan@unitedwaynwmi.org

Thank You and Thank You!

As we are just a week away from our 15th Annual Day of Caring we wanted to take a moment and thank some of the people and places who make this day a reality.

Huntington is our Presenting Sponsor, and they have been sponsoring the Day of Caring for 9 years. Our Pancake Breakfast Sponsors are Sara Lee, Elmers, and Sam's Club. In Kind Sponsors include: Michigan Schooner Festival, Morse Moving, Leelanau Roasters, Bay Area Recycling for Charities, and WTCM.

And last but certainly not least are the businesses and agencies who volunteer to fulfill the needs of our area nonprofit agencies on the Day of Caring:

Global Marine Insurance
Faith Reformed Church
Scenic Trails Boy Scouts Council
Consumers Energy
Takeda Pharmaceuticals
Intelligence Agency
Hagery
Fifth Third Bank
Best Buy
Alfie Designs
Huntington
Traverse City Record Eagle
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
ECI
WKLT
La Senorita
Disability Determination Services
Reynolds Jonkhoff Funeral Services
Traverse City Northstars
Traverse City Rotary Charities
The Young Professionals
The Arbors of Traverse City
United Way Board of Directors
RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program)
Traverse Legal
Great Wolf Lodge
Tom Emling
Tony Ryan - DHS
Meijer
UPS
Sara Lee
Northwest Michigan Works!
Viktor Incentives
US Coast Guard
Dennis, Gartland, & Niergarth
H&R Block
Painting & Decorating Contractors of America
Cherryland Electric
Grand Traverse Industries
TCAPS
Food Rescue
Wells Fargo
Northwestern Michigan College
The Larkin Group
Grand Traverse Heritage Center Board of Directors
Traverse City West High School Band
NMC Dorms


On behalf of United Way of NWMI and all the agencies involved in the Day of Caring.... THANK YOU for all of your time and support.

We'll Make You famous!

If you volunteer for a nonprofit agency we would like to take a picture of you and use it in our upcoming campaign to appear in the Traverse City Record Eagle and surrounding newspapers.

Photos will be taken on August 25 from 10am to 4pm and Thursday August 26 from 10am to 2pm. Your individual photo shoot will take about 15 minutes and we will give you a black Live United t-shirt to wear (and keep) for the photo.

Please contact Michelle Gallagher for more details and to sign up, 231-947-3200 x 201 or michelleg@Unitedwaynwmi.org

If you would like to see last year's ads, check them out on our website.