Our Family Project: A Year Of Giving Back {+ Southeast Michigan Nonprofits}

This year, our family is taking a pledge to donate more to organizations that help others. It’s the least I can do to get my young ones started on a path of giving back and advocating for others, because I truly believe the saying charity begins at home.

Our plan is to pick a non-profit to send a donation to once each month during the entire year, and include a letter expressing why it was chosen. My 6-year-old is passionate about helping the homeless and the environment, while my 2 and 4-year-olds love animal causes. Women and children’s causes tend to be closest to my heart, and my husband would like to help Veterans and financial literacy causes. We each have picked an area where we will research a coordinating cause to help.

I’ve added each area we are passionate about to a popsicle stick, and we will choose one, discuss its importance with our children, and cut a check, even if it’s just a small amount. For some of the more kid-friendly ones, we will be looking into volunteer opportunities so we can see the issue face-to-face.

I’ve started a list of the places we are considering donating to during our year of giving back. Each of these organizations are based in Michigan.

Feel free to leave your ideas in the comments! There are SO many great ones out there.

ANIMALS

Detroit Dog Rescue: This non-profit saves homeless, abused, forgotten and misplaced dogs of Detroit and has built the first no kill rescue and rehabilitation center in the city.

Howell Nature Center: This non-profit offers the state’s largest wildlife rehabilitation and education program.

Leader Dogs for the Blind: The mission of this organization is to empower people who are blind or visually impaired with lifelong skills for safe and independent daily travel.

Michigan Humane Society: The Michigan Humane Society cares for over 100,000 animals each year, while working to end companion animal homelessness, provide the highest quality service and compassion to the animals entrusted to our care, and to be a leader in promoting humane values.

Paws for Life: This non-profit does not have any paid staff, is entirely volunteer based and receives no government funding. During the past 10 years, Paws for Life has rescued 2,974 dogs, cats, puppies and kittens from area shelters. All donations go directly to helping homeless animals find adoptive homes.

CHILDREN

The Children’s Center of Wayne County: The Children’s Center is home to many specialized clinical services, including Autism treatment/support, psychiatric services, teen parenting, foster care, adoptions and more.

Covenant House: Covenant House Michigan provides hope to homeless, runaway and at-risk youth ages 13-22. Their goal is to redirect the youth onto a path toward meaningful and successful adulthood.

Make-A-Wish Michigan: Make-A-Wish®Michigan grants about one wish per day for a child with a life-threatening medical condition.

Ruth Ellis Center: The Ruth Ellis Center provides long and short-term safe space and support services for runaway, homeless and at-risk LGBTQ youth in southeastern Michigan.

Vista Maria: Vista Maria serves more 1,000 children every year who have been abused, neglected and traumatized.

DISABILITIES

O.A.T.S. Offering Alternative Therapy With Smiles: O.A.T.S. provides equine-assisted therapy on a weekly basis, year-round to children and adults with a wide variety of physical and emotional disabilities.

Special Olympics Michigan: Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for all children and adults with intellectual disabilites. 

ELDERLY CARE

Alzheimer’s Association – Greater Michigan Chapter: The Greater Michigan Chapter covers 60 counties. Services are available to more than 140,000 individuals and their families who have Alzheimer’s disease or other related dementias.

Area Agency on Aging 1-B: The Area Agency on Aging 1-B is a nonprofit agency responsible for services to more than 546,000 people ages 60+ residing in Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair and Washtenaw counties. 

HUNGER

Gleaners Community Food Bank: Gleaners distributes more than 34 million pounds of food annually to more than 510 soup kitchens, food pantries, homeless shelters, senior homes and other nonprofit agencies. Every dollar donated provides three meals for a hungry neighbor. 

Food Bank of Eastern Michigan: This nonprofit is made up of a network of over 415 non-profit food providers, including church pantries, soup kitchens and shelters, across 22 counties in Michigan.

Food Gatherers Food Bank: Food Gatherers works to alleviate hunger by reducing food waste through the rescue and distribution of perishable and non-perishable food, coordinating with other hunger relief providers, educating the public, and developing new food resources.

Forgotten Harvest: Forgotten Harvest collects surplus, prepared and perishable food from places such as grocery stores, restaurants, caterers, dairies, farmers, and more. Then, they take the donated food—that would otherwise go to waste—and deliver it free of charge to 260 emergency food providers in metro Detroit.

The Torch: This mobile truck operates out of Livingston County and offers a wide variety of free services, including weekly hot meals, tutoring for grades K-12, haircuts, children and teen leadership training programs, and mentoring.

HOMELESSNESS

Burners Without Borders: BWB is a direct action organization of concerned people looking to help others with kindness. Volunteers hit the streets of Detroit looking for people who do not go to shelters and offer then a supply filled backpack.

COTS (Coalition On Temporary Shelter): COTS exists to alleviate homelessness by providing services that enable people to achieve self-sufficiency and obtain quality affordable housing. COTS also exists to advocate for long-term solutions to the problems of homelessness.

Grace Centers of Hope: Grace Centers of Hope is a homeless shelter and rehabilitation program dedicated to positively changing the lives of men, women and children.

Habitat for Humanity of Michigan: Habitat for Humanity helps to make affordable housing a reality for families in nearly every county throughout Michigan. Habitat for Humanity Michigan brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.

WOMEN

HAVEN of Oakland County: HAVEN’s mission is to eliminate sexual assault and domestic violence and to empower survivors through advocacy and social change in and around Oakland County.

LACASA of Livingston County: LACASA provides help, support, shelter, counseling, and legal advocacy for survivors of child abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault.

League of Women Voters: LWVMI is a nonpartisan political organization and encouragesinformed and participation in government.

Michigan Abolitionist Project:  MAP helps people use their gifts and talents to prevent and end modern slavery and human trafficking in Michigan and beyond.

VETERANS

Brain Injury Association of Michigan: The Brain Injury Association of Michigan is a non-profitorganization that serves to as the primary conduit to resources between brain injury survivors, their families and the vast statewide care, rehabilitation and advocacy network that serves them.

Michigan Veterans Foundation: The primary mission of the Michigan Veterans Foundation is to fill the gaps that currently exist in providing services to Michigan’s veterans. Focus on transitional housing, health services, PTSD counseling, education, job placement and more.

Salvation Army Eastern Michigan Division: TSA Operates two transitional housing sites for homeless veterans in Detroit and one in Monroe. It also provides substance abuse treatment and casework services, in addition to feeding thousands across metro Detroit.

Where are your favorite organizations to donate time or money to?

Check out this great list of Ann Arbor nonprofits Ann Arbor With Kids put together!