safe harbor christian communities newsletter winter …safeharbormi.org/assets/images/feb. 2017...
TRANSCRIPT
Safe Harbor News
Safe Harbor Christian Communities Newsletter Winter 2017
Who Are We? By Mike Poggi, Chairman, Board of Directors
We are a ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church.
We are Mary's, Joseph's, Faith, and Hope Houses, located in Muskegon and Grand Rapids. Four group homes to help adults with developmental disabilities live their lives to the fullest in a nurturing, clean, safe, Christian environment.
We started in 2001 in Muskegon with the construction of Mary's and Joseph's Houses. Grand Rapids added Faith House in 2011 and Hope House in 2013.
We are 12 Women and 12 Men, 6 in each house, that have developmental disabilities and the talent that allows us to volunteer 5,700 total hours per year in places like the YMCA, Grand Rapids Public Schools, Covenant Village, Kids Food Basket, In The Image, Guiding Light Ministries, as well as many others. Some Residents have jobs in places like Mr. Burger, Taco Bell, and Walmart.
Based on abilities, our Residents attend weekly Friendship Groups, meet with Dominican Sisters to engage on the process of Spiritual Development, go to school to get their GED and diplomas, ride the bus or walk on their own to get to work and volunteer sites.
Our Residents are Very Special Volunteers (see p. 3) helping Safe Harbor by using their volunteer hours to raise money for the homes.
We are a group of House Managers — Lynn, Diane, Dan, and Rhonda, and staff — that are 100% dedicated to helping our Residents develop as much as they are able.
We are part of a larger mental health community, utilizing resources and people that are dedicated to come alongside Safe Harbor and its Residents to assist them in achieving more than thought possible. Some of our Residents may even "graduate" to living on their own!
We meet state standards of care for our homes and are often told just how nice our facilities are and the care given is. We are proud to be leaders in the group home community.
We are fundraisers, working hard to raise about $700 per Resident per month to meet the expenses over and above government funds we receive; this means we are responsible for raising at least $200,000 annually to stay afloat and fill our funding gap. We organize many fundraisers — our Gala, Piccadilly Auction, Golf Outing, Hampton Green Farm event, and an outdoorsmen dinner (Whew!). Thank you Laurie, our Events Manager, for your hard work and leadership. Last year we were $30,000 short of our $200,000 goal. We really, really need all of our families, friends, and supporters to work hard to help our fundraisers succeed. Thank you for all you do already for Safe Harbor, but I caution that we all need to stay vigilant and not grow weary.
Your Board of Directors has created a Fundraising Committee to focus on raising the money needed as well as to research new fundraising ideas. Ideas like the creation of a foundation one day that could assure a secure, sustainable future for Safe Harbor. A foundation that could allow families and supporters to give through estate planning to provide for our long-term future. Please contact me if you can help us develop the foundation and/or if you would like assistance in your estate planning to assure that the needs of Safe Harbor’s Residents and group homes are met. Please feel free to contact me at any time at the email address below.
I along with our Families, Friends and Board Members, look forward to a successful year. We ask for your prayers for our success and for our Residents, Managers, Staff, Volunteers, and Board Members.
Sincerely,
Michael J. Poggi [email protected]
Melanie loves her family at Hope House, where she has lived since
2013. She enjoys the camaraderie of her "sister" residents and the
kindness of her caregivers, Rhonda and Tim. Melanie loves life and
enjoys sharing it with those around her!
She remains very close to her immediate family who also reside in the
Grand Rapids area. She is the proud Auntie to Micah, Isaac, and
Amelia; and in December just before Christmas, she welcomed baby
nephew Jacob. She loves her two sisters & brothers-in-law, her mom, and her dad too. She is a huge blessing to
her family.
Melanie is a sports fanatic. When she was in elementary
school in Colorado, she excelled in Special Olympics ice
hockey. She also was a student for several winters in the
handicapped ski program in Winter Park, Colorado. Those
activities sowed the seeds for her love of sports, which
continued when she moved to Michigan with her family
in 1999.
Melanie is the proud owner of a Peyton Manning football
jersey, which she wears on game day with the obligatory
Broncos cap and sweatshirt. She was overjoyed when the
underdog Broncos won the Super Bowl in February of
2016! She also roots for the Colorado Avalanche, the
Colorado Rockies and the Michigan Wolverines, perhaps to
the consternation of some of her roommates who cheer
for MSU.
Melanie volunteers at Covenant Village of the Great Lakes
twice a week. She thoroughly enjoys escorting the Covenant
residents when they go shopping or on an outing, and she also helps with cleaning around the facility. She loves the
residents their and they love her. She also volunteers weekly at Mel Trotter Ministries and at John Ball Park Zoo. She
takes her volunteer work very seriously and performs them with a joyful heart.
Introducing
Melanie, who lives at Hope House, one of
Safe Harbor’s group homes adults with special needs.
Support Safe Harbor on the golf course this Father’s Day weekend. Golf 18 holes at the historic Oak Ridge Golf Club, with dinner afterward by Bella Maria's Ristorante.
$100 for Golf & Dinner
$40 for Dinner Only
Reserve your spot now. Call
Laurie Mills at 231.557.6278 or
Dan Phillips at 616.550.1643
Location: Oak Ridge Golf
Club, 513 W Pontaluna Rd,
Norton Shores, MI 49444
Spring Swing For Safe Harbor
Christian Communities
Saturday
June 17, 2017
@ Noon
Father’s Day
Weekend
Building Connections in the community
among nonprofits, donors, and adults
with developmental disabilities.
veryspecialvolunteers.com
Several years ago, Dan, who is a parent of an adult with special needs living at Safe Harbor Christian Communities, came up
with a fundraising idea that weaves together philanthropy and volunteerism.
Q: Dan, you've come up with a unique fundraising idea, Very Special Volunteers. How does it work? A: In a way, it works like other charity events, like a walk-a-thon or a bowl-a-thon. Donors sponsor volunteers, who are residents at one of the Safe Harbor group homes, and who serve as volunteers at various nonprofit organizations in West Michigan, such as the YMCA, New-2-You Thrift Shop, Grand Rapids Public Schools, and Covenant Village to name a few. The donor makes a monetary pledge to Safe Harbor Christian Communities, based on the hours that the volunteer works. Very Special Volunteers (VSV) is the framework that connects these pieces together. Q: What was the impetus for creating VSV? A: Our family experienced the difficulty of finding a meaningful job for our daughter with special needs. We found that available jobs had very limited and inconvenient hours and would likely lack proper supervision. We did, however, find excellent volunteer opportunities, with flexible scheduling, wonderful work environments, and challenging work. Our daughter has now volunteered for the past 15 years. An important element missing, however, was the sense of self-esteem and purpose that one receives from earning wages and supporting your own needs. VSV fills this gap by providing a way for these volunteers to indirectly contribute to the support of their housing costs. Q: How has VSV performed so far? A: Very Special Volunteers launched in 2014, starting with one volunteer/resident and a handful of donors. In 2016, four of the Safe Harbor residents participated, with 38 donors and nearly $24,000 in contributions, all of which benefited Safe Harbor. Q: VSV is more than just a donation. How does it benefit all involved? A: Group homes receive donations, donors benefit by blessing volunteers and group homes, and volunteers get a boost to their self-esteem. Q: How can I get started if I’m the parent or guardian of a Safe Harbor resident? A: If your loved one is volunteering at a nonprofit organization, you can sign up now. Read more about the program at www.veryspecialvolunteers.com and download forms for registering the volunteer and the nonprofit where she/he works. After that, you can start obtaining pledges – these forms can also be downloaded or mailed to you. Q: How can interested donors get involved? A: You can contact VSV by email at [email protected] and you will receive a pledge form with the name of
a volunteer to sponsor. It’s important to note that you don’t need to know a Safe Harbor resident, all you need is a desire
to get involved.
Britt N.
The residents love receiving birthday
cards! (Send to address on the right)
Find us on Facebook
and visit us online at
www.safeharbormi.org
Ladies, please join us and bring your mother, daughter, and friends to our
Ooh La La Piccadilly Auction Mother’s Day Weekend
Saturday, May 13, 2017, 10 am to 12:30 pm
@ the Folkert Community Hub 640 Seminole Rd, Muskegon, MI 49441
Enjoy a fun and fast-paced style of auction,
with many fabulous items available! Tickets
are $20/person and include entrance, brunch,
and coffee service. Mimosa bar available.
This popular event sells out
fast. Reserve your spot now by
contacting our office @ 231.780.9144
or Lynn @ 231.225.2758, or emailing
Brad
June 9 Dan
May 26
Kristin
May 21
Laurel
May 16 Melanie
May 28
Mark
March 4 Beth
March 25
Robin
March 27
Chelsea
April 7
Contact Us
862 Forest Park Rd. Muskegon, Michigan, 49441
616.550.1643
Join our monthly email list! Email [email protected]
to be added