Board of Directors

February 2010 Volume 6

Shelly Penzien President

Mitch Vogeli Vice President

Sue Schwark Treasurer

Rev. Brian Davies Board Member

Wayne Oehmke Board Member

Mr. Frank Henke, Esq., Warner, Norcross & Judd LLP Legal Counsel

Contact Us: macombcharitable @comcast.net Phone: 586-232-3473 Fax: 586-232-3473

Visit our Web Page: www.macombcharitable foundation.org

The Macomb Charitable Foundation exists to help children living at or below poverty level in Macomb County. Our goal is to alleviate the suffering of children and their families by providing financial assistance for items such as but not limited to; food, clothing, personal care items, rent/utility assistance, vehicle repair, educational assistance and when available personal & spiritual

mentoring. This goal is accomplished through the generosity of our contributors by providing children with benefits and services that meet their basic needs, thereby enhancing their self esteem. It is our

desire to focus on the child . To make that child’s life richer, not just by offering assistance with worldly goods, but by offering kindness, humility and respect.

The Macomb Charitable Foundation makes every effort to be open and fully accountable to our donors and to make careful business decisions so that contributed dollars provide the maximum help to

the needy children who have been referred to us. These referrals are accepted without regard to political affiliation, religious belief or ethnic identity.

Our Mission Statement

Amazing things happen when people join forces! FOUR HUNDRED AND FOUR CHILDREN were assisted this Christmas as a result of our CHRISTmas For Kids Program! All of them living below poverty level, about 72% of them homeless. While some of these kids asked for the same things our own children asked for, most of their lists included simple requests such as “toilet paper”, “food”, “underwear” and in one case, “protection and secu-rity”. These children go to bed at night worrying about things that some of us as adults have never had to worry about. With a full heart I thank you for em-bracing these children.

If you dropped your gifts off the evening of December 15th at Crackle-wood, you had the opportunity to see a room filled to the top with great LOVE & GENEROSITY. We at Macomb Charitable are proud to call you neighbor and friend. This newsletter will be “sprinkled” with notes from parents and chil-dren who benefited as a result of your pure heart.

It is our fervent wish that God bless you in 2010 and that you continue to be a blessing to others.

Shelly Penzien, President—Macomb Charitable Foundation

Serving underprivileged CHILDREN in and around our community.

APPLICATIONS FOR THIS OUTING WILL BE MAILED TO

THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED LAST YEAR IN MID MAY. THE GENERAL PUBLIC CAN DOWNLOAD AN

APPLICATION FROM OUR WEBSITE BEGINNING JUNE 1ST.

www.macombcharitablefoundation.org

NAME OF DONOR/BUSINESS: _______________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: _________________________________________________________________________________________

CITY: ____________________________________________________ZIP: _____________________________________

CONTACT PERSON: _________________________________________PHONE:________________________________

A TAX RECEIPT WILL BE SENT TO THE ADDRESS ABOVE.

_____ENCLOSED IS A CHECK FOR $50.00 TO SPONSOR A HOLE FOR THIS EVENT.

____IN MEMORY OF _____IN HONOR OF ____ SPONSORED BY ____OTHER

TWO LINES OF PRINT ALLOWED - PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Now accepting Hole Sponsorships Please send your TAX DEDUCTIBLE donation today!

(ALL CHECKS MADE PAYABLE TO MCF ) Send check and form to: MCF ~ c/o: 53993 Carnation Dr., Macomb, MI. 48042

The need for gently used furniture when a family moves from a shelter/motel into low income housing is great. We recommend that you donate your used items to the Southeastern Michigan Furniture Bank. They provide FREE furniture to those in need. The idea is simple, the effect profound. Cribs, because parents can’t bring new babies home without one. Beds, because women and children escaping abusive relationships should not have to sleep on the floor. Dining room tables, because families torn apart by disaster and abuse can come back together. The Furniture Bank is a partner agency of United Way.

Schedule pick up of large items by calling

248-332-1300. Drop small and/or large items directly at these

furniture bank locations:

Macomb 24882 Forterra Dr. Warren, Mi. 48089

Oakland 333 North Perry

Pontiac, Mi. 48342

“To the people who helped us for Christmas, My family and I want to thank you for the help given to us this past holiday season. Given the fact that we both lost our jobs and eventually our home, we were not expecting to have much to give the children for Christmas. We were fearful of waking up in a shelter on Christmas morning but we were able to move into this trailer the week before with the help offered by your agency. Thanks to the giving spirit of our Christmas sponsor, the tree had much underneath it to unwrap! We hope to pay forward the favor someday, making Christmas day special for another family who is struggling. Hopefully in 2010, the situation my family has faced will improve with the economy. We appreciate the time, money and effort spent for our kids. Thanks to your generosity, they were not disappointed when they looked under the tree Christ-mas morning. We cannot repay what has been freely given, but we do return the sentiment and wish you and yours a God blessed 2010”.

While we have a lot of fun hosting fundraisers like our Golf Outing, Bake Sales, Harvest of Hearts, Dinner Dance and other events, we also welcome the opportunity to apply for GRANT MONEY. Julie Wright has volunteered to help Macomb Charitable seek Grant monies. Do you know of an opportunity we might look into? Does your place of work gift non profits in the commu-nity? Please contact Julie if you have any leads. We appreciate your support and welcome your suggestions! Email Julie at: wrightj531@hotmail.com

A mother thanks you... “Christmas Santa, My family & I would like you to know that we really do appreciate all that you did to make our Christmas merry & bright. We really are grateful for the food & cleaning supplies that were included with your generous gifts. My children & I are going through an extremely difficult situation. We have suffered tremendously physically, emotionally & fi-nancially for the last 4 1/2 years. The time has come that I have finally decided to get us out of this situa-tion. It is a continuous battle because of past abuse and current danger . I was a person who never thought they’d be in this situation. It was extremely difficult to reach out & ask for help. I guess when it comes to your children we sometimes need to swallow our pride. Truly, it has been extremely difficult on a daily basis for my family. We pray everyday for the important things, life itself, safety & freedom. In our prayers we will always include you as well. I hope that in due time we will be safe and able to reach out to a family & do what you have done for us. Many things are hard to explain to children & one of them would have been a Christmas with no gifts. Thanks to you, I was relieved of that burden. Our lives are com-plicated & cannot be in detail discussed, but we thank you! What you do for families is beyond explanation. The joy & happy tears cannot be expressed. Pray for us as we will for you. Sometime in the future, God willing our paths will cross again. Your humanity, kindness & God spirits keep us strong & give us the hope of knowing that there are wonderful people who care”.

VG’s Community Sharing Fund is a simple way for our foundation to earn a 1% cash rebate on every purchase

YOU make! Simply save your VG’s cash register receipt and mail it to our program coordinator, Kris Aubry.

Kris will compile the receipts and return them to VG’s!

Send all receipts to:

Kris Aubry

61851 Spring Circle Trail ~ Wash., MI. 48094

WOULD YOU CONSIDER HELPING OUT BY PLACING A VG’S COLLECTION BOX AT YOUR

WORKPLACE? LET KRIS KNOW VIA EMAIL AT:

krisaubry@comcast.net

THIS PROGRAM HAS EARNED US

SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS...THANKS!

SECOND STORY

PLEASE BEGIN SAVING YOUR USED BOOKS FOR

OUR ANNUAL BOOK SALE!

DONATIONS CAN BE DROPPED OFF DURING BUSINESS HOURS TO:

ST. PETER LUTHERAN CHURCH

17051 24 MILE MACOMB

FOR MORE INFO, CALL BILL OR DIANNE WETZEL

586-677-1830.

The Macomb Charitable Foundation lost a good friend and supporter with the passing

of Jim Baker in January. Jim was a kind man who

embraced our efforts to help homeless & poverty stricken children in our community. We thank Jim’s family for

choosing MCF as a recipient of his memorials.

We promise to use this gift wisely and honor Jim by helping a child in need.

Rest in peace dear friend.

HOW ARE OTHERS HELPING? Renatta Kunnath donated several BRAND NEW coats, hats & mit-tens for our kids~ Dorothy Rosso works year round & made over 50 pairs of mittens~ Our Christmas Sponsors adopted & gifted 404 children in need a wonderful Christmas~ Cash Donors gave mone-tary donations to help provide housing, clothing, school supplies & more~ Hessell’s Greenhouse sponsored a Ladies' Night Out Event to benefit MCF~ Instead of exchanging Christmas Gifts the Alvin & Edna Schwark Family collects toys for our kids, Craig Bock &

friends from Allstate Insurance donate cash to MCF~ Over 350 people attended our Harvest of Hearts event~ Richard Paul from

the Central Macomb Optimist Club placed a mitten tree in Ebeling Elementary School, the students & staff FILLED the tree to over-flowing~ Bill & Dianne Wetzel & St. Peter Lutheran Church

Macomb host a successful Used Book Sale each year~ The Central Macomb Optimist Club hosts a Dinner Dance each year, donating the proceeds to MCF. They also raise money to take 100 of our kids shopping with the Sheriff~ Deputies from the Sheriff’s De-partment volunteer their time to take our kids shopping, members from Our Redeemer Lutheran Church donate cleaning supplies & pantry items year round~ Kevin & Yvonne Callahan & the IM-PACT group at Lakeside Assembly of God deliver beds, wheel-

chairs, food & hope to our families weekly~ employee’s in Shelby & Macomb Twp. & the Sheriff’s office donate casual day funds to MCF~ employee’s at Cracklewood Golf Club host a Ladie’s Golf

Outing to benefit MCF~ Jamie Franquist & Christie Jernukian enlisted their many friends & hosted a bake sale~ Santino’s in

Washington Twp. supports our efforts by raising money for Shop with the Sheriff~ General Dynamics made a financial donation~ Auto Liv made a financial donation~ The Ray & Ethel Campbell family(and friends) who under the guidance of Jan Stark volun-

teered to set up our fall auction... The Macomb Township Lioness donated filled backpacks~ employee’s of Century 21 AAA North have a pantry collection box in their office~ Joel Fickel & Shawn

Kuzmin donated Piston tickets for several of our kids~ Bob & Carol Brent donated Circus tickets, parking passes & dinner to sev-

eral families~ the students & staff at All Star Trilogy & Gotta Dance Studio collect new toys for our kids~ Julie Wright has vol-unteered to write grants for us~ Sherry Brodowsky, Tracy Mick,

Maggie Venditti, Deb Milton, Julie Standlick, Sue Schwark, Cheryl Borowski & Tracy Kowalski return calls & conduct home visits~

Paula Schramm processes used donations~ the gals in Shelly’s Fri-day morning Bible Class made the Harvest centerpieces and deco-rated our auction baskets~ Dave Standlick makes our video presen-

tations ~ Kohl’s sends workers to our events and provides a cash donation~ Kim Tebay processed our gift certificates for our Fall

event ~ several of you donate items when asked to help us with our fundraising efforts~ and the list goes on...