Group - Breakfast on the Farm Volunteers

The Breakfast on the Farm Volunteer Group has won the November Group Volunteer of the Month award through the United Way of the Eastern Upper Peninsula Spotlight Recognition Program. Nominated by Michelle Walk, the volunteers really were the stars of the Breakfast on the Farm event! There were nearly 140 volunteers for the event, held on September 17, 2011 and put on by MSU Extension, to increase awarenes about today's modern food production and the families who provide safe and wholesome food for those in Michigan and beyond. Tasks included set up, helping serve breakfast, answering questions at stations, parking, emptying trash and cleaning up, and tearing everything down after the event.

Excellent feedback was given about how organized the event was. While the event coordinator and committee did work very hard to ensure a successful event, it could not have happened without the volunteers. Many of the volunteers attended an orientation earlier in the week, were at the farm by 7am the day of the event, and then worked the entire event. Over 1,000 people attended Breakfast on the Farm, not including the volunteers – so their help was critical in ensuring an issue free event.

Business Neighbor - Cup of the Day

Tracy Menard is not only an excellent teacher in her field at Sault Area High School, she is a shining example to all of the students she comes into contact with of how to reach out and make the world a better place.  Tracy has implemented service learning within her classroom over the past three years and has truly become a force for students to gain a greater understanding not just of the classroom content she is accountable to provide, but also the community in which these students live.  She began with implementing service learning in her psychology class by arranging for students to serve volunteer hours at 5 local organizations, Community Action Head Start, Freighterview, Salvation Army, the Animal Shelter and Meridian Heights.  Students learned of the many ways in which interaction and environment play a role in the mental health of area residents.  Seeing that the students were gaining so much from the experience, Tracy took her leadership to the next level and transported students to a service learning camp downstate where they learned how to become leaders in their schools to bring service to an even greater scale.  These students returned from camp and formed what is now Students United, a premier group of high school students whose sole charge is to make their community a greater place.  They have performed dozens of projects that benefit the community, all the while setting an example and leading their peers to take part and enjoy the journey of serving others.  Recently, Tracy and her group raised money to bring an experience called Challenge Day to Sault High.  This entailed three days of activity that involved much planning to bring this group from California to our community.  Not only was it an incredible feat to raise the funding to do so (over $13,000) but they also touched the lives of over 400 students and adults in a way that breaks down barriers of stereotyping, bullying, isolation.  Although Tracy has not acted alone in these wonderful efforts, I am nominating her as the individual volunteer of the month as a show of respect and honor to the true catalyst that has begun to create a culture of service in the community for our young people.  Since Challenge Day, there has been a Facebook page where students who participated can post their thoughts and sentiments for others to read and share.  Many of the students are sharing painful issues such as family divorce, abuse, and social isolation that have kept them from reaching their potential in society.  Although it cannot be measured what a difference this is making on the community, it must be agreed that to provide an outlet for our young people talk about what is bothering them is surely a welcome platform.  Without Tracy’s leadership and commitment to helping all students learn about their community and begin to care about it and actively participate in it, many of these youth might have never realized they are not alone facing the issues that they are.  Tracy IS a paid teacher at Sault High but her efforts go well beyond that in the classroom and she deserves to be recognized for her stellar leadership and the momentum toward making a difference she has brought to life in Sault High.   

Thank you Tracy for all you do! 

Pictured L to R: Kristina Beamish (Great Lakes Center for Youth Development - Nominator), Tracy Menard, and Kimberly German (United Way of the EUP - Volunteer Center Coordinator).

Main Street Cafe (owner Iris Jarvi) has been selected as the September Business Neighbor of the Month through United Way of the Eastern Upper Peninsula's Spotlight Recognition Program. The following is an excerpt from the nomination form written for Iris by the Stalwart Fair Board:

She is always ready to help any organization she knows needs help.  As her suggestion in 2010 she knew Stalwart Fair no longer received support from the state for keeping their fair updated and going.  She suggested to Marc she would like to do a fund raiser for the fair.  She would donate l/2 of the proceeds taken in at her restaurant to the fair, some of her employees donated their time, and also some of our members donated their time waitressing, dishwashing, and cleaning up.  She also allowed us to do a silent auction, 50/50 draw, and sell our shirts and hats.  She and the fair board were very pleased with the results, and we were able to install a wash rack for animals on the grounds.  She informed us she would like to do this fundraiser every year if possible.  In 2011 she again did this for us; again the results were great. 

Iris is a very humble lady, and has graciously helped other individuals in need, and many other organizations.  In speaking with Jim Miller from Pickford Fire Department and Ambulance [she goes above and beyond, she is ready to help saying “I can’t do what you are doing but I can help"].  In speaking with Melanie Greenfield of the Pickford Library, she echoed the same "she has helped us in so many ways".  Others in the area agree.

Pictured from L to R: Marc Johnson (Stalwart Fair Board), Iris Jarvi (Main Street Cafe - Owner), and Kimberly German (United Way of the EUP - Volunteer Center Coordinator)

Business Neighbor - International Bridge Authority

The International Bridge Authority has been selected as the May Volunteer Business Neighbor of the Month through the United Way of the Eastern Upper Peninsula's Spotlight Recognition Program. Nominated by Phil Becker, the Authority's General Manager, this group has showed true volunteerism. Every year since 2006 the staff at the International Bridge Administration (IBA) has participated in a dress down day each Friday during which staff are allowed to wear street clothes vs. their traditional uniform clothing. Participating staff donate a $2 minimum, which goes into the “IBA Christmas Project Fund”.

The IBA has bridge maintenance and operational responsibility for the bridge assets in MI and Canada via a joint intergovernmental agreement. Accordingly, the IBA staff of 33 consists of both Canadian and US citizens.  Therefore, donations received are split between human service agencies in Sault, MI and Sault Ontario, Canada. The money collected is distributed to agencies in early December to help those in need during the Christmas season. The staff have donated a total of $6,334 to agencies.   

Agencies that have received money are: 

Women In Crisis Center (Canada)

Phoenix Rising Women's Center (Canada)

Michigan Department of Human Services, Chippewa County (U.S.A.)

Dianne Peppler Resource Center (U.S.A.)

Salvation Army, Sault Ste. Marie, MI (U.S.A.) 

Pictured from L to R: Buck Gravelle and Renee Smith (International Bridge Authority), and Kimberly German (Volunteer Center Coordinator - United Way of the EUP).