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In response to increasing requests for rent
and utility assistance, Plymouth Community
United Way recently awarded grants to non-
profit organizations that help low-income
residents of Plymouth and Canton. The chal-
lenging economic times have created a crisis
for local families desperate for food and
basic human needs, explained Maj. Daniel
Hull of theSalvationArmy, PlymouthCorps.
The local facility received $20,000 to help
families in Plymouth, Canton, Northville and
Belleville. On average, The Salvation Army
receives eight to 10 calls a day to prevent
shutoffs and evictions, Hull said.
"The grant will help us to assist 27 individ-
uals with rent or utilities that we wouldn't
have been able to otherwise," said Hull. "At
this time in the economy there is great need.
There has been less utility assistance fund-
ing this year. We're getting a number of calls
from people in shutoff who turn to the
Salvation Army and the grant enables us to
respond."
Cuts to the federally and state funded
Low-Income and Energy Efficiency
Assistance Funds (LIEEF) have hampered
the ability of organizations likeThe Salvation
Army, Wayne Metropolitan Community
Action Agency, St. Vincent de Paul and
THAW (TheHeat andWarmthFund) to assist
residents. Wayne Metropolitan Community
ActionAgency asked for and received a grant
for $5,000 for emergency utility assistance
and energy education classes to help low-
income residents in Plymouth and Canton
lower utility bills.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, St.
JohnNeumannConference is using its $7,000
to provide rent, food, clothing and utility
assistance to those in need in the Canton
community.
Earlier this year, a number of nonprofits
received grants from Plymouth Community
United Way including St. Vincent De Paul at
Our Lady of Good Counsel in Plymouth
($7,000), Southeast Michigan Homeless
Veterans ($1,500), NewHope Center for Grief
Support ($3,000), Personalized Nursing
Lighthouse ($5,000), and St. Christine's Food
Pantry ($5,000).
Along with awarding grants, Plymouth
Community United Way raises funds year
round for partner agencies including First
Step, Angela Hospice, The Salvation Army
Plymouth Corps, and Plymouth Community
Council on Aging. The nonprofits offer a vari-
ety of services from food pantries to bus
transportation for seniors, housing for adults
with developmental disabilities, and pro-
grams and a safe shelter for victims of
domestic violence and their children.
For more information about donations or
volunteer opportunities, visit www.ply-
mouthunitedway.org or call (734) 453-6879.
A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
3
January 5, 2012
C
ANTON
- N
ORTHVILLE
- P
LYMOUTH
Northville Art House shows
works of artist Topher Crowder
Film entries are sought
The Northville Art House will
exhibit the work of Topher
Crowder Jan. 6 through 28
The show will open in the Art
House's upper gallery with a recep-
tion and artist's talk on from 6-9
p.m. Jan.6. during the First Friday
ArtWalk.
Crowder burst upon the art
scene eight years ago after having
jobs fixing computers, merchandis-
ing beer, designing Christmas orna-
ments in a plastics factory and
packing boxes in an audio/video
supplywarehouse.
"I alwayswanted to be an artist. I
would take apart laser printers, put
them back together and make art
out of them. I couldn't suppress it
anymore," he said. Inspired by ani-
mated Saturday morning cartoons,
vintage postcards, comic books of
the 1960s and 1970s, Crowder's
early works were detailed stream-
of-consciousness line drawings.
Things have changed.
Crowder earned a Masters in
Fine Arts at Wayne State
University and is now an adjunct
professor at Schoolcraft College.
"I have a lot of time to make up
for. It's not about being successful. I
want to try everything and any-
thing.
The exhibit will include
Crowder's shoe paintings -- pop cul-
tural streams of consciousness.
Also on exhibit will beCrowder's
sculptural "studio weavings" -- art
constructed from the tattered rem-
nants found anywhere and every-
where and his reverse vandalism
signs -- unfinished boards branded
with messages, left intentionally in
forgotten public spaces as unspo-
ken invitations for public interac-
tion.
The showhas been organized by
Jeff Cancelosi.
For additional information, call
(248) 344-0497 or visit www.northvil-
learts.org. The Art House is locat-
ed at 215 W. Cady St. and is a facili-
ty of the Northville Arts
Commission. Admission to Art
House exhibits is free and open to
the public.
Plymouth United Way awards $20,000 in grants
“Yves Saint Laurent Patent Leather
Tribute Peep Toe Platform” Acrylic
on canvas by Topher Crowder
“Vox” (detail) Etching on plexiglass
By Topher Crowder
After a successful premiere of
Reel Michigan 2011, the Northville
Art House and Northville Civic
Concern will host the event again
on June 23, 2012.
The Reel Michigan Film
Festival organizers are now
accepting Michigan-made or
Michigan-themed short films (25
minutes or less, including credits)
as a part of the Northville Arts and
Acts event planned for June 22 -24.
Arts and Acts is an annual celebra-
tion of the arts in Southeast
Michigan featuring art, music, film,
plays andmore.
Reel Michigan welcomes all
genres, from student films to the
experimental. For more informa-
tion about Reel Michigan 2012, or
to obtain an entry form, visit
ReelMichigan@gmail.com.
Wanted
The Canton Police Department is requesting assistance in the identi-
fication of the two subjects above. The male is approximately 50
years old, has a dark-complexion, and was wearing a long-sleeve
white shirt, with three buttons near the collar, jeans, black shiny cow-
boy boots and a dark colored baseball cap. The female is approxi-
mately 40 years old wearing a long black coat and black pants with
her hair pulled back and sunglasses on her head. The subjects are
suspected of theft from a local retailer in Canton and possibly
Southfield. Anyone with information regarding the identity of these
two subjects is asked to contact Canton Police Department at (734)
394-5400.