Basic HTML Version
A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
3
December 29, 2011
I
NKSTER
- W
AYNE
- W
ESTLAND
Police provide 50 holiday dinners
Inkster police handed out some special
holiday gifts last week.
Officers donated personal funds to pay
for holiday meals for 50 Inkster families this
holiday season.
The officers pooled their funds and con-
tacted Meijer about providing meals at a
reasonable cost, in an effort to feed as many
needy families as possible. Meijer officials
offered to donate foods, some funding and
even help package the meals for delivery to
the Inkster families. Last Wednesday, the
officers presented the meals to the 50 fami-
lies whose names were selected by Ruth
Williams of the Goodfellows and Jeannie
Fields, manager of the City Planning and
Development Department.
Officers were surprised to discover that
with Meijer's help, there was enough money
to purchase some bicycles which they have
donated to theToysFor Tots campaign.
“It's a nice feeling to be able to give back
to the community that we serve. This was a
collective effort from all the dedicated
employees of this department,” said Inkster
PoliceLt. Jeffery Smith.
McDonald's owner Jon Campbell,
whose six restaurants are located in
southeast Michigan, served 250 free
breakfast meals to Starfish Family
Services clients last week.
“I have three children at home, so I
know kids love McDonald's,” said
Campbell, who owns a McDonald's loca-
tion in Inkster. “I'm thrilled to do my part
in the community, especially during the
holiday season, and give the families
receiving services from Starfish Family
Services a healthy meal option from our
McDonald's breakfastmenu.”
Families enrolled in the Starfish
Parent Empowerment Program received
a hot meal, including McDonald's hot-
cakes and sausage, fruit and maple oat-
meal and Minute Maid® premium
orange juice, at the start of a special par-
enting session last Saturday.
“We're so grateful to Jon and
McDonald's for such a generous gift and
for getting involved with our community.
It really makes the families feel special,
just in time for the holidays, said Ann
Kalass, Starfish chief executive officer.
“Plus, we know breakfast is vital to a
healthy lifestyle and helps children con-
centrate and performbetter in school. So
many families we serve are hungry on a
regular basis.”
“At McDonald's, we know that our
restaurants are a destination for fami-
lies,” Campbell said. “We're champions
for the well-being of children, and we
know that a good breakfast is the best way
to start the day.”
When the Wayne-Westland Community
School District faced the difficult decision to
close several schools, a popular and often-
used community resource faced an uncer-
tain future.
The school-based clinic at Lincoln-
Jefferson Elementary school served an eco-
nomically distressed area of the community,
providing medical and counseling services
many nearby residents wouldn't otherwise
have access to. Staffed by the Oakwood
Healthcare System, it relied on space at the
school to serve patients-andCherylWelday, a
long-time community volunteer, didn't want
to see it go away.
Welday led a fund-raising effort that has
since brought in more than $60,000 to help
fund the renovations to move the clinic to
nearby Adams Upper Elementary School,
where it can continue to serve the same
clientele. For her efforts, Welday was hon-
ored with the inaugural Apple Award from
theSchool CommunityHealthAlliance.
“She is a worthy recipient of this honor,”
said Lisa Rutledge, corporate director of
community outreach for Oakwood
Healthcare. “She has been an invaluable
part of this project. Her tireless efforts will
help bring healthcare services to many stu-
dents and families that need it.”
The Apple Award was created this year to
recognize thosewho showdedicated support
for a Child and Adolescent Health Center.
Welday received the award at the annual
meeting in Mount Pleasant, in front of more
than 100 staffmembers fromacross the state.
“The School-Community Health Alliance
of Michigan is proud to recognize Cheryl
Welday for her dedication to the field of
school-based health care,” said Michele
Strasz, director. “She has tirelessly advocat-
ed time and effort to assure access to high
quality healthcare in school-based and
linked health centers in her community. She
saw the benefit first hand of school-based
health care on the health and educational
achievement of the students her community
serves.”
The clinics are like a doctor's office in the
school. They provide students with quality
primary and mental health services in a
safe, easily accessible location on or near a
school campus. There are nearly 70 state-
funded centers and programs in Michigan
that serve more than 200,000 children of all
ages in all different types of settings. They
are strategically located in medically under-
served communities where access to health
care for youth is an issue.
Greg Baracy, superintendent of the
Wayne-Westland Community School District,
said the clinic has provided a vital service in
the community.
“It's been a great partnership,” he said.
For more information on the School-
Community Health Alliance of Michigan,
visit www.scha-mi.org. To learn more about
the Oakwood Healthcare System, visit
www.oakwood.org.
Happy meals
McDonald’s owner donates breakfasts
Volunteer honored for
efforts to save school clinic
Cheryl Welday