Shelby Community Foundation and Local Children Celebrate Together
Willy Wonka Christmas Lunch
Children in Shelby Township helped the Shelby Community Foundation celebrate the 2010 Holiday Season at the Willy Wonka Christmas Lunch. Ameriprise Financial Services in Shelby Township sponsored the event as the kick off for the new SCF Children’s Fund. Over 200 people attended the lunch at Cherry Creek Banquet Center in Shelby Township on Saturday November 27, 2010. More than 100 toys were given by the attending children for Friends of Foster Kids and Jamie’s Smiles charities.
It was a non-stop afternoon of activity and fun for everyone. The hit of the kid-friendly meal was the chocolate fountain where kids of all ages put chocolate on a wide variety of treats including candy! Willy Wonka visited with the children. Santa Claus also made an appearance and gave each child a gift bag. He received whispered Christmas wishes, some written lists, and hand made pictures.
Two activity stations provided the opportunity to make Christmas tree ornaments and Christmas cards. Face painters created a wide variety of face decorations including one child who ended up with a spider wearing a Santa hat. Five children received Golden Tickets in their gift bags. In a random drawing, two gift certificates, two bicycles, and a Red Wii were given to the lucky ticket holders. The day ended in the hands of a magician who had the kids squealing in delight.
Both the Shelby Community Foundation and Ameriprise Financial were elated with the turnout, the number of toys given for the charities, and the fun had by all who attended. Ameriprise has agreed to sponsor the event again in 2011.
This may seem like the end of the story, but it is just the beginning. The bigger story is the impact of the toys for the children and families that received them.
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Jamie’s Smiles PO Box 183181 Shelby Township, MI 48318 586/909-5305 |
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THANK YOU! To every individual and organization involved this year…From Jamie’s Smiles, 15 people in our Adopted Families and 25 other Families! |
This is the story of Jamie’s Smiles. Jameson Allen Bates lived for two years. He was born with Down Syndrome. Although he started his life out with great enthusiasm and vigor, he eventually grew weaker and developed additional problems. With his mother, father and 4-year old brother by him, he left his life on earth.
Many people think that a handicapped or a special needs person is somehow valued less. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jamie was deeply loved. The love he gave back and the lessons learned from him live on forever in his family’s lives. Through Jamie’s Smiles, the family continues to honor his legacy. They created an endowment fund through the Shelby Community Foundation. It is called Jamie’s Smiles to celebrate Jameson Allen Bates and to help other special needs children through yearly grants.
Toys from the Willy Wonka Christmas Lunch
“The gifts from the Willy Wonka event really helped with Jamie’s Smiles adoptions this year. Money normally allocated to toys for our three adopted families was put into food gift cards for additional families. All of the toy needs for children of our families were met by the donations from SCF. This allowed us to put a stronger focus on food for other families of children with special needs that are suffering hardships. Most of the children that we adopt have very few, if any toys. Their parents focus on providing food and shelter. The SCF toys bring happiness and learning fun to life for many children with special needs who may otherwise have had only the barest of necessities for Christmas.” Many thank for all of your efforts!
Gretchen Bates, Jamie’s Mom
Jamie’s Smiles help is given to families in need
Dear Friends of Jamie’s Smiles:
This year we adopted three families through the Macomb Infant Preschool Program (MIPP) who really needed a hand up. We also helped an additional 25 families by giving them non-perishable food, diapers, learning toys for their children and/or gift cards for food. The total estimated retail value of the gifts was over $13,000. We raised and spent over $8,100.
Kohl’s “A Team” which is a part of the “Kohl’s Cares for Kids” program wrapped presents for Jamie’s Smiles. They spent many hours helping us wrap gifts, not to mention all the time that they helped us in making our purchases, the discount that they gave us on everything and contribution that they have made from their corporate giving program! MANY THANKS Kohl’s on 26 Mile in Shelby Township!!! As always, your support and generosity are GREATLY APPRECIATED!
Your generosity made it possible for us to supply the following items to our families:
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Children · Winter coats for each child · A pair of snow pants for each child · 2 sets of hats, mittens/gloves for each child · Two pair of pajamas for each child · At least four winter clothing outfits for each child · Several sets of socks and underwear · A pair of shoes & a pair of winter boots each · A reclining booster seat · Two push behind/ride on toys · Two sets of crib sheets per baby · At least three learning toys per child (many were donated courtesy of the Shelby Community Foundation’s “Willy Wonka” event – THANK YOU!) · At least 3 books for every child · A devotion book for each child · Several small stocking stuffer items for each child · Cases of diapers & wipes where needed |
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Parents · A winter coat each where needed · Hats and gloves for each parent · A pair of pajamas for each parent · Four winter clothing outfits each · A pair of shoes each · A pair of boots each · Socks · One set of sheets for all older children/adults · One blanket for all older children/adults · A comforter for all older children/adults · Pillows for all older children/adults · Toothbrushes and floss for everyone in families · Personal care products such as shampoo and soap · Several small stocking stuffer items each · Approximately $4,000 in food gift cards for our families and other families in need And more! |
Please visit us on the web at www.JamiesSmiles.org in the New Year for an update of our previously adopted families and other important information…
Give where you Live
Give locally to help locally. You ARE the difference.
We are Volunteers!
There is no funding or special program that can help them. We need your help.
Be a child’s Santa this year.This is the story of Friends of Foster Kids. It is a Macomb County, Michigan, based charity whose goal is to help our community’s foster children. Theresa Toia and Karen Szczotka work endless hours to help these children. It is a volunteer organization of people from all walks of life who want to make a difference in a child's world.
Foster kids are children who through no fault of their own, have been removed from their homes. This is often due to neglect or abuse, and they are placed in temporary housing. These events happen so quickly that often the children have no opportunity to gather their belongings. This includes basic things we take for granted such as clothing, underwear, a pillow, toothpaste, and photos...little things that help them feel safe and secure. We try to help. We let them know they are not alone. They need to know they are not forgotten.
Foster care caseworkers provide us with the first names, ages, gender, sizes, and “wish lists” for the foster kids they supervise. Donors are asked to provide a child with gifts of clothing and things of interest such as toys, games, or items from their wish list. Each child makes up a wish list of their special wants or needs, as they have no one to provide for them. Their needs range from underwear, winter coats and hoodies to towels, sheets and pillows of their own. Duffle bags are also a must as these children often live out of plastic bags.
The gifts are wrapped and labeled with the child’s first name, age and the caseworker’s code number. The gifts are distributed to the foster care worker who hand delivers the gifts directly to the child. There are lots of tears…from the donors, from the volunteers, from the caseworkers who delivered the presents to the houses and shelters, and, of course, from the children.
Toys from the Willy Wonka Christmas Lunch
This year the toys received from the Willy Wonka event made a huge impact on costs. Dollars went farther because so many toys were already purchased. Some of these children have never had a toy of their own. Now they have their toys, plus warm winter clothes. Over 800 children were assisted this Christmas by Friends of Foster Kids. Their stories are as varied as the children themselves. They always need more help and we encourage you to be a Santa to at least one child next year.
Call 586-909-5305 or send a check payable to “SCF – Friends of Foster Kids” at PO Box 183181, Shelby Twp., MI 48318.
