With a total goal of $250,000 to support the renovation plans and build the endowment to ensure that the additions can be maintained, the project is well on its way. “The nearly $24,000 this community contributed is simply an amazing show of dedication to the project,” said Jan McGuire, president and CEO of the Foundation. “We still have some fundraising to do and we’ll be working on that right after the holidays,” said McGuire.

The construction of the new bathrooms, replacement of the roof, new paint, carpet and windows will enhance the experience for visitors each year. The Santa House, built in 1987 has been a very special place not only for local Midlanders as they share the holiday season with family and friends with a visit to Santa, but also for people as far away as Illinois and Ohio.
Construction of the new bathrooms and other renovation work will begin this coming spring and are anticipated to be completed by mid to late summer 2012.

After all these years, the Santa House needs some repairs and an addition or two.  The Midland Area Community Foundation has undertaken the effort with a fundraising and renovation project.  The Santa House Renovation project hopes to raise $250,000 to add bathrooms, a new roof, some window repair and a new computer for the Glockenspiel clock.

“These repairs and additions are going to benefit our whole community,” said Jan McGuire, President  and CEO of the Midland Area Community Foundation. “The treasured memories of families during the holidays is really something unique that this one amazing place offers to families.”  The Santa House is completely free for area families, making it a special holiday experience for everyone who wants to come visit Santa.

There is a special match opportunity for donors from December 1 through December 14.  Every dollar donated will be matched by two additional dollars. This means that if someone contributes ten dollars, thirty dollars will be contributed toward this project.  The match will end December 14. Donate now

The Santa House Renovation will begin in the spring of 2012 and be ready by the holiday season in 2012.

Ken Mault retired from the position of Program officer to pursue other opportunities.  “Ken was a real benefit to the organization,” said Craig McDonald, Chair of the Midland Area Community Foundation Board of Trustees.  “We appreciate his dedication to the Foundation’s mission, his expertise and his strong support of our work as an employee.”

Nancy Money joined Family and Children Services in 2009 as the Director of Fund Development.  Her role at FCS encompassed many facets including grant writing, major donors, the annual fund, planned giving and marketing.  While at FCS, Nancy was involved in the strategic planning process and continuous quality improvement team.  Prior to her employment at FCS, Nancy was employed at Alma College as the Grants Specialist. During her tenure at Alma, they received the largest grant in the history of the college from the National Science Foundation.

A native of Midland, Nancy graduated from Midland High School.  She received her college degree from Alma College with  majors in Political Science and Sociology.  She is a graduate of the 2010 Leadership Midland Class and the Fall 2010 Non Profit Management Best Practices class at SVSU.

Nancy is married to Brian Money and they have a daughter and two sons.  She is active in volunteer work through her church, youth sports and education.

Nancy will start her position as Program Officer with the Foundation on November 28, 2011.She will be responsible for administering multiple programs including the Foundation’s grant program.

To search for and contribute to an endowed fund at the Foundation click here

How it works

Current law permits taxpayers to reduce their Michigan Income Tax or Michigan Business Tax liability by a credit of 50% of the amount contributed to a community foundation endowment fund. This unique tax credit will no longer be available in the state of Michigan after December 31, 2011.  All federal tax deductions for charitable contributions remain unchanged.

•   If you contribute $200 or more, your tax credit will be $100 (maximum credit) for an individual filing singly.

•   If you and your spouse contribute $400 or more, your tax credit will be $200 (maximum credit) for a married couple filing jointly.

•   If your business contributes $10,000 or more, your tax credit will be $5,000 (maximum credit) or five percent of tax liability before claiming any credits, whichever is less, for taxpayers filing Michigan Business Tax returns.

On Saturday, October 29^th nearly 100 ladies from the Beaverton Area gathered to have lunch and raise money for a good cause.  This event was held at the Beaverton Community Center and raised over $1,000 for the Beaverton Rural School Endowment Fund.  When fully established, the Endowment Fund will be used to provide additional educational experiences, which go beyond those provided by the District’s operating budget, for students in kindergarten through 12^th grade.  The Endowment Fund is under the direction of the Midland Area Community Foundation.

Using their creativity, the décor for the event was provided by each table sponsor who decorated their luncheon table with a theme of their choice.   This year’s themes included:  Autumn, Halloween, Christmas, Snowmen, English Tea Party, Victorian, Hollywood, Social Butterflies, Painting, and Beautiful Things for Beautiful Ladies.  Those serving as table sponsors were:  Kris Phillips, Dawn Swartzmiller, Joyce Swartzmiller, Pam Cingano, Joan Cashin, Carol Goerge, Carla Haggart, Sonja Loose, Missy Pohlman, Jane Smith, Judy Oberloier, Sharon Clark, and Tracy Summers.  Each table looked unique and spectacular for the serving of a delicious catered luncheon.

A short program on “Fall Gardening Tips” was presented by horticulturalist, Audra Hynes.

Special thanks go to Brian Rowland and the Beaverton Lions Club for the use of the building; Lacie Curns and Chartwells for the delicious luncheon; and all of the table sponsors and those who attended.  The event was coordinated by Pam Cingano and Joan Cashin.

Caption for photo: Principal Barb Elliott demonstrates the use of a SMART board at Hillside Elementary School for members of the Clare County Community Foundation Board of Directors.

The Clare County Community Foundation Board of Directors held its meeting at Hillside Elementary School in Harrison on October 19, 2011.  The purpose of having the meeting at the school was to see a demonstration of the use of a SMART board by Principal Barb Elliott.  Hillside Elementary School now has one of the interactive computerized boards in every classroom.  The first few boards were purchased using federal grant dollars received by the school district.  The staff and principal at Hillside decided that they wanted to attempt to provide the new technology to every teacher and student in the building by obtaining additional SMART boards.

Caption for photo: Principal Barb Elliott demonstrates the use of a SMART board at Hillside Elementary School for members of the Clare County Community Foundation Board of Directors.

Clare County Community Foundation helped Hillside reach its goal of a SMART board in every classroom with a grant award of $5,000.  The CCCF Board held its monthly meeting in a classroom so that Principal Elliott could demonstrate some of the many capabilities and educational uses of the SMART board.  The board members had an opportunity to ask questions about the uses and functions of the devices prior to conducting the regular meeting.

Hillside also used funds donated by the building Parent-Teacher Organization, individual donations by the employees in the building, and another grant from the Alden and Veda   Dow Foundation to complete the project.  Now the SMART boards are mounted and operational in all of the classrooms, and the faculty and students are learning many new and exciting ways to use them to assist with teaching and learning.  Principal Elliott and the students and staff at Hillside Elementary appreciate the support of the Clare County Community Foundation and everyone else who helped them make this project a success.

The volunteers distributed 17,000 pounds of food which included cereals, baking mix, beef stew, tomato soup, spaghetti sauce, canned diced tomatoes, baked beans, spaghetti, long grain rice, crackers, assorted breads and baked goods, pudding, celery, potatoes, apples, canned pears, and pomegranate juice cocktail. With each participant receiving more than 50 pounds of food, many were grateful not only for the food, but also for the volunteers who helped carry the food along the line and to the participants’ vehicles. The Clare County Community Foundation provided the funding for the food distribution. The Community Nutrition Network purchased the majority of the food from the Mid-Michigan Food Bank with the Food Bank contributing the fresh fruits and vegetables and several other items

Many of the participants also visited the nutritional education section to talk to the nutritional educators. They also received nutritious recipes, tips for shopping on a budget, healthy living recommendations for both children and adults, information on proper portion sizes and types sweeteners and sugars, and copies of the Healthy Eating Plate, a graphic which shows how much of what types of foods people should have on their plate and which foods are healthiest. The nutritional education section also contained a display of a sample Healthy Eating Plate and a display of a plate of food from a fast food restaurant compared to a plate of home prepared food. Not only was the home prepared food more nutritious, it was also much less expensive!

The Community Nutrition Network expresses its gratitude to the many organizations who helped make this month’s food distribution and nutritional education event such a success. They include the Clare County Community Foundation for the funding, the Clare County Transit Corporation for use of the facility, the Clare County Sheriff’s Department for the reserve officers who provided traffic control and community relations, Docs’ Dumpsters for the forklift and driver to unload the truck packed with the 8 ½ tons of food, the Mid-Michigan Food Bank for the additional food, MidMichigan Medical Center Clare and the Stone Soup Project for the nutritional information, Glens Market of Harrison for the grocery bags, and the Clare County Council on Aging for photocopying support.

More than 50 volunteers helped out at this month’s food distribution. The Community Nutrition Network thanks the many individuals who volunteered their time, as well as the following organizations for providing volunteers: The Gathering United Methodist Church, Clare First United Methodist Church Youth Group, the Clare County Transit Corporation, the Department of Human Services (DHS), and the Stone Soup Project. Additional thanks go to the many people who attended the event and volunteered their time to help unpack the food and assist participants in transporting their food.

The Community Nutrition Network was created earlier this year to help combat hunger in Clare County and to increase awareness of the importance of good nutrition and developing healthy eating habits. The Community Nutrition Network was formed as part of the Central Michigan District Health Department’s (CMDHD’s) Together We Can Health Improvement Initiative. Members of the Community Nutrition Network include representatives from CMDHD, the Clare Assembly of God, the Clare County Council on Aging, DHS, The Gathering United Methodist Church, MidMichigan Medical Center Clare, MSU Extension, Saint Athanasius Catholic Church, the Ten-Sixteen Network, the Stone Soup Project, and the Whitehouse Restaurant, as well as many citizen volunteers

If you are interested in donating funding and/or volunteering your time with the Community Nutrition Network, contact Pastor Mike Simon of The Gathering United Methodist Church via email to pastormike@gatherchurch.org or via telephone at 989.539.1445.

The award, to be presented on October 27 at the annual Ripple Effect, will recognize the Reverend Wally Mayton for his impact in Midland which benefits the citizens of Midland County.  His clear dedication to the community is shown in so many ways.  His generous gifts of time, talent and treasure to the Foundation’s mission is clear. Not only does he support many projects which benefit our community on a regular basis, he invests his time and talent by serving on the Cultural Awareness Committee, a scholarship committee and on the Operational Grants Committee.

The Reverend Mayton’s dedication to the community extends far beyond his service and generous support at the Foundation however. He serves as Director Emeritus at Big Brothers Big Sisters, Board Director for Elsa U. Pardee Foundation, Board Director MidMichigan Health-Midland, Ambassador on the Council of Ambassadors at Eagle Village and is an active supporter and board member of the United Way.  The Reverend Mayton also has a strong commitment to the youth in our community; he serves as a volunteer in a variety of positions at multiple youth organizations including; North Midland Family Center, Camp Fire USA Midland, The Rock Youth Center and Midland Area Partnership for a Drug-Free Youth.  The Reverend Mayton is also involved in many other community-improvement activities such as the Community Advisory Panel for Dow Chemical-Michigan Division and the Circle Area Community Garden.  The Reverend Mayton is a graduate of Leadership Midland and of Great Lakes Bay Leadership Institute where he continues to serve as an Ambassador

“The Rev. Mayton’s countless hours of service to our community represent an investment of his time and considerable talent which made him a natural choice for this award,” said Craig McDonald, Chair of the Midland Area Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees. “We simply couldn’t be more honored to have been a recipient of his generosity not only at the Foundation but across the whole community.  There are few people in Midland who haven’t been touched by his kindness and it is our pleasure to honor him with the Philanthropist of the Year Award.”

The Philanthropist of the Year Award will be presented at the third annual Ripple Effect on October 27, 2011 at the Holiday Inn-Midland.  The public is invited but asked to RSVP to the Community Foundation at 989-839-9661.

Almost seven years ago, a group of friends and the Stoppert family started a fund with the Midland Area Community Foundation to recognize Bob and Bobbie Stoppert’s contribution to the community of Midland. They formed not only the Coach of the Year Award, but two funds to assist educators, one being a scholarship fund for aspiring teachers, the other a fund to honor Bobbie Stoppert’s dedication to Chestnut Hill Elementary School.

Nick Wardell certainly exemplifies the community spirit and love of sports displayed by Bob Stoppert.  As a wrestling coach, Mr. Wardell has provided exceptional service to the students at Bullock Creek High School moving them from a 2003-2004 team win record of 3 wins to a 2010-2011team win record of 26.  Under Nick’s guidance, the Bullock Creek High School 2010-2011 wrestling team was the Tri-Valley Central Conference Champion, and District Champion, Regional Champion and a State Qualifier in MHSAA competition.  This dramatic improvement in the team’s performance is self-explanatory.  However, Nick’s respect of the students he works with has made for not only a winning team, but a team that grew academically as well. As reported by a parent ”  …he encourages them to strive in academics, as a result, this year the wrestling team has been awarded Academic All State Recognition.”

In addition to constant improvement of his team’s performance, Nick’s mentorship has inspired his students to never give up.  The great attitude evidenced by his teams is present in Nick himself as he served as a volunteer football and wrestling coach at H.H. Dow High School in the 2002-2003 school year.

The award was presented to Mr. Wardell on September 20 during a dinner at the Midland Country Club hosted by the Lions Club. Lions Club members, friends of Bob Stoppert, Midland Area Community Foundation staff and Nick Wardell’s family and colleagues attended to honor him as the recipient of the Bob Stoppert Coach of the Year award.

It is clear that Nick Wardell is a talented and dedicated coach who has proven his long standing commitment to youth in our community based on his record. The Midland Area Community Foundation is honored to manage the fund and coordinate a selection committee to make this award possible.

Kathy Allen, Executive Director of Personal Assistance Options summarized the success by saying, “We rallied together for a purpose that matters and came to understand the power of progress was found in numbers.  Helping youth with different disabilities was the common goal and our motivation to unify our voices was extremely strong.  Thank you to all who took the time to vote and support our Mentoring program so that we can continue our goal of assisting youth with disabilities to be participating members of our community.”

“It is such a pleasure to not only engage the community on our Facebook page”, said Jan McGuire, President and CEO.  “But also to make sure the community has a real impact on the things that matter to them.”  The goal of the Grand Challenge was to engage nonprofits, community members and the Foundation in one activity that allowed everyone to participate. In short, to build a local social network online.  “We’ve certainly met our goal,” said McGuire.  “With 393 new people ‘liking’ us on Facebook, we’ll be able to ask people what they think of new ideas, convene people who want to make a difference and help to build our community even more.  We see Facebook as a place to share and interact and we are so pleased to have more people who know about us.”

The Midland Area Community Foundation partnered with the Bay Area and Saginaw County Community Foundation to launch the contest.  Each foundation ran the challenge in their community and all saw similar success.  After an evaluation of the process and the results, the Foundations will decide if they will run this sort of challenge again.  “It’s definitely something we feel is successful – it built capacity and community.” said McGuire.

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