Tag Archive for: #MMGivesBack

75Walls

Hometown Highlight: 75Walls

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Two hometown gals starting a mural movement in Muskegon, Michigan, one wall at a time.

75Walls

Christine Mattson and Jenni Schuitema are the faces behind 75Walls. In line with movements across the U.S., the goal of 75Walls is to beautify inspire and bring joy to the Muskegon area by commissioning artists to transform the Muskegon area – one wall at a time – with a little TLC.

Years ago, Christine and Jenni started a band by the name of 75Walls. Ironically, that band name is now the vision the two friends have for their mission: Turning 75 walls into murals that inspire and bring rejuvenation to Muskegon.

75Walls

Their first project, titled “Lakeside Regatta” and located along the bike path at the entrance to the Lake Express Ferry, is the perfect welcome to Lakeside and the beautiful Muskegon Lakeshore.

Local artist Jimmy Cobb was commissioned to create and transform the wall.

Funded by personal funds as well as Go Fund Me funds, the murals are coming to life with the help of local artists and community members passionate about spreading art and joy across the great city of Muskegon.

The second project entitled “The Siren’s Catch” now adorns one of Lakeside’s oldest walls.

Local artist Angie Mattson was inspired by those who fished our waters and called this port their home, and is now Located on the wall at Torresen Marine.

To support and learn more about 75Walls, check out their Facebook page.

Stay tuned for walls number 3 through 75!

It’s Story Time

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Our friends at 92.1 WGHN are hosting Story Time. Have you been tuning in?

We teamed up with the West Michigan Lakeshore Association of Realtors to sponsor the daily segment with Grand Haven Area Public Schools. Tune in at 8:40 a.m. Monday – Friday to hear some of our favorite stories.

Press play below and enjoy a few sweet stories with your family.

More stories are available here. 

Story Time with Grand Haven Area Public Schools

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Our friends at 92.1 WGHN are hosting Story Time and we are so excited to be involved!

We teamed up with the West Michigan Lakeshore Association of Realtors to sponsor the daily segment with Grand Haven Area Public Schools. Tune in at 8:40 a.m. Monday – Friday to hear some of our favorite stories.

Story Time’s first episode aired this morning. Press play below and enjoy a sweet story with your family.

Honoring Our Local Educators: Ms. Annie Willard at Oakridge Lower Elementary

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MM Gives Back was launched as a way for the Michigan Mortgage team to give back to the community, local and afar.

In the past, our monthly MM Give Back charities were selected by our Employee Superstar of the Month. We donated financially and offered our time and resources.

This year, we’re switching things up! 2020 is the year of Educators.

Each quarter, Michigan Mortgage will recognize a West Michigan educator and donate $1,000 to their school. Honoring education is our priority!

This quarter, we honored Ms. Annie Willard, an SXI Teacher (SXI stands for students that have Severe Multiple Impairments) at Oakridge Lower Elementary.

Ms. Willard, along with a slew of others, was nominated on our Facebook page.

“I would like to throw Rosanne (Annie) Willard’s hat into the ring. Annie works with Severe and Multiple impaired special needs students. I have never met anyone who does more for her students and sometimes, more importantly, their families than Annie. She makes their lives so much better, advocating and arranging for supplies and services to be available to assist these students with some of their most basic necessities like mobility, bathing, and feeding Always looking for solutions, she often spends her own money to make sure the students and their families have what they need. Over the years we have had a few students pass away and Annie is with these students and their families, crying and laughing about the joy these kids have brought right up until the end.” – Renee Warmoth

She is so incredibly deserving of this recognition; we learned that first-hand when we visited her classroom.

“Annie is very deserving of this award because there is no end to the lengths that she goes to for her students and their families,” said Principal Angela Ogden. “Annie has a huge heart and cares for her students and staff as if they were members of her own family.”

Click here to see our surprise visit to Ms. Willard’s classroom!

“I became a special education teacher so that I could make a difference in these children’s lives,” said Ms. Willard. “I push them to their fullest potential and expect great things from them. Their gains may be small and far between, but the challenge is worth it. And it is exciting when they accomplish something that nobody ever thought they could do.”

“My students are my kids,” she continued. “I generally have them for seven years before they move on to the Middle School program. I learn a lot about them and their family. Their struggles, their needs, or just when they need a shoulder to cry on. I have been there for the passing of two of my students. Helping the family during a very dark time.”

On behalf of Michigan Mortgage, Ms. Willard and Oakridge Lower Elementary received a check for $1,000. Ms. Willard plans to use the funds to purchase specialty chairs for the lunch room and sensory items for a new space currently under construction.

“I cannot thank Michigan Mortgage enough for honoring outstanding teachers,” Ms. Willard said. “I love my job and would not change a thing, but it is awesome to be acknowledged for our hard work.”

“My students have made a huge impression on my life,” she said. “I am thankful for them every day.”

Thank you for your commitment to education, Ms. Willard! We are so blessed to recognize you as the first recipient of our Honoring Our Local Educators Award.

Image showing an autographed Justin Abdelkader jersey.

#MMGivesBack: Stand Up for the Cure

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Each month, our staff selects a local charity to support through our #MMGivesBack program. Our goal is to give back, get involved and make a difference.

In honor of Loan Officer Shawn Norden and her passion for breast cancer awareness, we have selected Stand up for the Cure (SUFTC) Muskegon as this month’s charity.

“As a breast cancer survivor, I learned very quickly the importance of early detection,” Norden said. “It is not a cliché. Finding breast cancer early offers you less invasive treatment options and a much greater probability of survival.”

“My wish is that every woman has the same access that I did for finding breast cancer early – that is why I Stand Up for the Cure,” she said.

The event – the fifth in Muskegon – is slated for Saturday, July 13, at Harbour Towne Beach.

SUFTC’s mission is “to help women find breast cancer early – when it’s more treatable – through education, awareness, screenings and research while building a supportive, compassionate community.” The event aims to introduce non-paddlers to the fun and healthy sport of standup paddle boarding.

According to the organization, “Seventy-five percent of the funds raised at the 2019 event will go to local programs managed through Hackley Community Care, with the remaining twenty-five percent going to Van Andel Institute to fuel Dr. Carrie Graveel’s research into triple-negative breast cancer, which is the most aggressive and deadly form of the disease.”

“We help those right here in our community every day,” Norden added. “This is a huge reason why I support SUFTC. Of course, we want to end breast cancer forever – but until that happens, we need to help those afflicted by this horrid disease.”

Online registration is now open.

As part of this year’s event, Michigan Mortgage will be giving away a Red Wings jersey autographed by Muskegon’s very own Justin Abdelkader.

If you’d like an opportunity to win, stop by our office (6207 Harvey Street, Suite B) between now and July 12. The cost to enter is $10 for one chance and $20 for three.

If you’re planning to attend the July 13 event, stop by the Michigan Mortgage booth for your chance to win. All proceeds will go directly to Stand Up for the Cure.

The winner will be announced at noon on July 13. You need not be present to win.

If you have questions related to the giveaway, please call Shawn Norden at 231-557-9414.

“I am so grateful that our community has embraced this event and all it stands for,” Norden said. “We would not be able to be successful without our very generous sponsors, participants and the community as a whole.”

Muskegon Event Details
Location: Harbour Towne Beach, Muskegon
Date: Saturday, July 13
Time: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Activities: Kid’s Paddleboard Race, 5K Expert Race, Relay Races, Fun “Sea of Pink” Paddle, Yoga on the Beach, Free Breast Health Screenings, Live Music, Catered Lunch & Happy House, a Silent Auction and much more!

For more information about this year’s event, click here.

Realtors Who Care logo

#MMGivesBack: Realtors Who Care

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Realtors Who Care is the charitable arm of the West Michigan Lakeshore Association of Realtors. Their goal is to make our local community a better place to work and live.

Mission Statement: Realtors Who Care shall strive to support Realtors first, people focused local charities, individuals in need and the National Association of Realtors recommended disaster relief.

They often give $300 to support individuals and charities in need and $600 to Realtors in need and disaster relief efforts designated by the National Association of Realtors.

Loan Officer Hayley Woodworth is Co-Chair of the Realtors Who Care Committee and selected the non-profit organization as this month’s #MMGivesBack charity.

Why?

“Realtors give back so much to their clients and communities,” she said. “I think it is important that we support them when they are in need. We meet so many people through this industry, and when you meet someone going through a hardship, it’s such a great feeling to be able to help them.”

The group experienced a very successful 2018 full of giving but has even bigger dreams for the year ahead.

“The goal for 2019 is to raise as much money as possible so we can give more than we ever have back to the local community,” Woodworth said. “We are also striving to gain as much exposure as possible so Realtors, affiliates and the community become aware of our organization.”

“We want to get more people involved and encourage more requests and submissions for donations for people and places in need,” she said.

How can you get involved?

“In May, Realtors Who Care collects toiletries and personal items for local shelters and food baskets,” Woodworth said. The group takes the donated items and assembles baskets for those in need.

Items include: shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste, paper towel, feminine products, deodorant, tissues, and other household items used on a daily basis.

More information about Realtors Who Care, their mission and the May Basket charity initiative is available on their Facebook page.

Kids' Food Basket logo

#MMGivesBack: Kids’ Food Basket Muskegon

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“Kids’ Food Basket is a grassroots, community solution to childhood hunger. We engage all who care about children reaching their full potential – in school and in life. We began over a decade ago by serving 125 kids each school day through our Sack Supper program and now serve nearly 8,000 kids each weekday in West Michigan.”

Our January Employee of the Month, Danielle Woodring, recognized the work Kid’s Food Basket Muskegon is doing in our local community and asked that we get involved.

“I volunteered with Kids’ Food Basket in the past and fell in love with their mission to ensure children in our community do not go hungry,” she said. “They support numerous local schools and prepare thousands of sack suppers on a weekly basis.”

“Without them, children go hungry and our community suffers.”

According to the Kids’ Food Basket website, “1 in 5 Michigan children are affected by hunger and thousands of West Michigan children are food insecure — they can’t count on having access to good, nourishing food every day.”

That’s why they do what they do: nourish thousands of children to help them reach their full potential.

“Consistent, nutritious meals support cognitive development and help children focus by meeting critical health needs.  With healthy calories we can lessen the risk of conditions such as diabetes and obesity. Healthy calories also help children avoid behavioral issues such as irritability, aggression and anxiety,” according to the Kids’ Food Basket.

“I feel like no child should ever go hungry,” Woodring said. “Finding where their next meal is coming from is not something a child should ever have to worry about.”

“The Kids’ Food Basket has so many different opportunities to volunteer,” she said. “Anyone can get involved and raise awareness about childhood hunger.”

This month, Michigan Mortgage employees were excited to donate supplies and assemble Supper Packs to donate to the organization. Employee’s children got to pitch in by decorating the paper bags that the pack suppers are distributed in. 

If you’d like to get involved, visit their website.