THE BLOOMFIELD HILLS OPTIMIST CLUB
P.O. Box 781
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303
NAVIGATION
HOLIDAY WISH PROGRAM BACKGROUND
HELP HOLIDAY WISH CLICK HERE
Organic address is 2600 S. Telegraph, it is located by entering the first driveway on right off of Southbound Franklin Road just south of Square Lake Road. Map Quest Link
WORK SCHEDULE FOR ALL ELVES.
Contact either Ted Wilson at 248-342-4838 or Phyllis Zimmerman at 248-227-5349 for volunteer drop off times at Organic in November and December.
| 12/9 | Wednesday meet at 8:45 at Organic depart 9AM until roughly 4PM Present p/u and drop offs. Teams will pick up presents from sponsors and drop them off at the schools. |
| 12/10 | Thursday after Optimist meeting meet at Organic at 8:45 depart at 9 AM until roughly 4PM. Teams will pick up presents from sponsors and drop them off at the schools. |
| 12/11 | Friday meet at Organic at 8:45 depart at 9AM until roughly 1PM. Teams will complete sponsor pick ups and drop offs at schools. Other members will shop and wrap |
| 12/12 | Saturday meet at Organic at 10AM until about 2PM. Final day to shop, wrap, tag & bag presents. |
| 12/14 | Monday one team will meet at Organic at 8:45 and depart at 9AM until roughly 11AM to deliver presents from Saturday Activity. Others will tear down the OP Center and return tables , pack up materials and return the trucks. |
The Club would appreciate the use of 3 small commercial vans for pick up and delivery of presents to schools. Please contact Brian at 248-505-8400 or at bjmacken@comcast.net if you can bring and drive a van on WED, THURS or FRI.
Instructions for Sponsors
The Bloomfield Hills
Optimist Club
P.O. Box 781 ¤ Bloomfield Hills ¤ Michigan ¤ 48303-0781
2009 Children’s Holiday Wish Program Highlights – Sponsoring Organizations
The Optimists of Bloomfield Hills thank you for your interest in our Children’s Holiday Wish Program. In 1989 the Optimist Club began the program with the idea of providing gifts for disadvantaged and at-risk children who might otherwise not have a happy holiday. The program goal for this year is to purchase, wrap and distribute presents to over 2200 local youth.
In Oakland County, the Oakland-Livingston Human Service Agency’s Headstart Program in the cities of Pontiac, Troy, Royal Oak, Waterford, Auburn Hills, Ferndale, and Clawson qualifies candidates. The Pontiac Academy is also a recipient of gifts from the Optimists. The children in these programs come from low-income families, are “at-risk” students with special needs, or are foster children (some being raised by grandparents). Many families go without staple needs during the holidays and must pay for higher winter utility bills making holiday gift giving virtually impossible for their children.
Each sponsoring organization receives a project workbook designed to provide your coordinator with everything needed to participate immediately in the Children’s Holiday Wish Program. The children’s names and gift preferences are listed on mailing labels that should be attached to the gift tags we will provide. For consistency across the program we recommend one or two gifts totaling an approximate value of between $35 and $40. Those wishing to spend more than this amount are encouraged to take more than one child’s name.
Mail-in contribution envelopes will be provided for persons too busy to shop, but who may also wish to participate. As noted on the envelopes, checks should be made out to The Bloomfield Hills Optimist Foundation. Donations made to this foundation are tax exempt because we are an IRS qualified 501(c)3 organization.
The program ends on Tuesday, December 8th at the end of the business day. Optimist members will arrange to pick up the wrapped gifts at your organization sometime during business hours later that week. We will transport the presents either directly to the children at their schools or back to our distribution center, which is again generously being donated by Organic, Inc., in their office building south of Square Lake Road at 2600 S. Telegraph Road. All gifts will be processed for delivery to the schools prior to the holiday recess at the end of school on December 17th.
If you have any questions please contact one of these Optimists:
Brian MacKenzie (c)248-505-8400
Ted Wilson (c)248-342-4838 (h)248-851-4837
Gordon Glidden (c)248-379-0216 (h)248-545-1994
Adela Knedlik (c)248-209-2621
Our goal is to make it easy for you to help a child this holiday season. If you have any other ideas, please do not hesitate to mention them to an Optimist listed on this page. We are grateful for your generous support and are also receptive to suggestions for improvements.
Contributions may also be made by going to www.bloomfieldoptimist.org and clicking on the PAYPAL button.
SHOPPING INSTRUCTIONS
The Bloomfield Hills
Optimist Club
P.O. Box 781 ¤ Bloomfield Hills ¤ Michigan ¤ 48303-0781
Helping the Optimists to Help Disadvantaged Children – Instructions
It’s really easy to help a disadvantaged or “at-risk” child have a better holiday. Please follow these simple instructions:
1) For how many children can we buy presents? Select either one or two names of children (about 30% of sponsoring organization employees elect to buy presents for two children). Remember to take a gift tag for each child you select.
2) What do we do next? Put a sticky label with a child’s name and gift preference on the gift tag; use it for shopping and gift-wrapping later. Also, sign the photocopy names over the name(s) you selected. It helps us account for all children.
3) Is shopping the next step? Yes, go shopping. Have fun. Take your family. The Oakland-Livingston Human Services Agency instructed teachers and principals to help the children be realistic about the types of presents they would like to receive. Try to follow their suggestions. Feel free to purchase one or two gifts per child.
4) How much should we spend? We suggest that the total value of the gift or gifts should be in the $35-40 range. If you want to give more, pick two children.
5) Any suggestions for wrapping? Of course. Use a heavier weight paper and plenty of tape as these presents get handled about three times before reaching the children. We think a heavy ribbon or yarn will help keep everything intact. If you purchase two presents for one child, please tie them securely together with a heavy yarn or heavy tape. Again, it helps us in handling the gifts.
6) Next? Here’s the tricky part. Make sure the gift tag with the name of the child is taped to the top of the present and easily seen by the Optimist volunteers who will be bagging and distributing these gifts. It’s important that the right gift get to the right child in the right school.
7) Where do we drop off the presents? Drop off your present(s) by Monday, December 7th with the coordinator who has the binder of children’s names. They will make sure the presents are kept in a secure location.
The Optimists will pick up the presents on Wednesday, December 9th or Thursday, December 10th or Friday, December 11th and transport them to the appropriate schools. Optimist members, adult volunteers and students working for community service hours will handle everything including delivery to the schools prior to holiday recess.
8) Are cash donations welcome? Of course. Please use the gift donation envelope provided in the back of the sponsor company binder of children’s names.
9) Questions: Brian MacKenzie [248-855-5662] or bjmacken@comcast.net
Ted Wilson [248-342-4838] or featherstone_corp@yahoo.com
Gordon Glidden [248-379-0216]
Adela Knedlik [248-209-2621]