It’s a Material World – and YOU can help!

There are families right here in Bay County that are struggling from day-to-day to provide for their own basic needs, some of them may be your own neighbors.

Poverty looks different in every community, some have a huge homeless problem, in other communities, it is more hidden – you have to look for it.  Once you see the struggles that our neighbors are having, you will never forget it.  For me, that reality came in 2006 when I interviewed a young single mom with two children, reluctantly, she shared with me that her children were sleeping on pallets that she had piled with blankets.  That statement forever changed my point of view.  You see, in my middle-class, farm community upbringing, pallets were used to hold bags of potatoes – they were not a place for kids to sleep!  When we were able to give her two used, twin beds – she hugged me tightly and began to cry, knowing that her kids could now get a decent night’s sleep.

This young single mom and her situation is a representation of the families we see on a daily basis at the Do-Care Family Enrichment Center.  Families who are struggling and caught in the cycle of poverty, existing from one crisis to another, often wondering where their next meal will come from, much less how will they provide the necessary school supplies or a warm winter coat for their children.  Sometimes their situation is not their fault, a lost job or the increase in the cost of food and utilities.  Some have made poor choices – haven’t we all done things we regret?
What does this mean and how can YOU help?

The Do-Care Family Enrichment Center has a variety of programs, from Material Assistance to School Supplies and Coats for Kids that need your help.  In January the warehouse that stores all the materials that are provided to families experienced a devastating flood – everything was lost.  The type of donations needed for families include:
• Sheets and blankets
• Towels of all types
• Pillows
• Pots, pans and baking dishes
• Silverware and utensils

Donations are accepted at the Cat’s Meow Thrift Store, 1465 W. Center Rd., in Hampton Township.  Hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Sundays from 12 to 3 p.m.  Monetary donations to help support program activities are also accepted and can be mailed to Do-All, Inc., 1400 S. Lincoln, Bay City, MI  48708 – just add “Do-Care donation” in the memo portion of your check.
If you have questions about any of Do-Care’s programs, please call the Do-Care office at 989-894-0764.