If we could bottle the joy and tears and wonderment of it all, we would have certainly the formula for the perfect city.  With a list 3 times as long as we normally would have, we were faced with uncertainty. Our goal was to provide Christmas for our less fortunate families and seniors in Rochester Hills.  We together, as a community, not only met that goal, we surpassed it by a mile!  It was absolutely phenomenal!

With a humble and grateful heart we thank you for your time, donations and most of all your own open hearts for our own families and seniors in Rochester Hills.  This was a community effort, not held solely by one corporation or by one volunteer, but as a whole community together reaching out to those who need us the most.

A letter received said, “The moment I walked in my door, I had to excuse myself to my bedroom and sit and cry for a few moments. No one has ever done something like this for us. Words cannot express all of the joy and happiness I have and will continue to have with my son on Christmas morning.  Thank you for EVERYTHING!”

Thank you to so many corporations; Meijer Corporation, A Raymond/Ray Connect, Parisian, YMCA NOW Swim Team, Providence Avon, Theresa and Vince Mungioli annual food drive, Hampton Boy Scouts, Rochester Elks, Gold Star Restaurant, Pelle Pelle, Game Over Lounge, countless residents, City staff, Oakland County Sheriff Department, Brookland Fire Fighters Association and Chief Ron Crowell.  To our volunteers; Don Barlow, Theresa Mungioli, Vince Mungioli, Jim Duistermars, Joe Pope, our youth team; Jenna, Roshni, Emma, Allie and Sam Harris, he surprised me the most. To all who went that extra mile so that we could provide Christmas for our residents who would, without all of us as a community, would not have been.  We witnessed tears, received a lot of hugs and noticed the sheer delight of our children visiting with Santa with their proud parents looking on. Our seniors, surprised and very grateful, knowing not only that will there be food in the house, but that someone cares enough.

Each year there is one extra special person that we find what they need. One year it was a homeless man, I found his parents on Christmas Eve morning in California. They had not spoken in 25 years. This year it was a woman (one of our poorest families) whose need she thought, could never be obtained. Here again comes Santa and the goodness of a great area family to provide it for her.  When she read the letter Santa wrote explaining what the gift was, she through her tears said, I can never repay you, I have nothing”  I explained this is Santa’s gift to you, and she almost collapsed in my arms.

Thank you is never enough; please express our appreciation and our families and seniors appreciation to all of those who made these dreams come true.

Sincerely,

Suzanne White, Executive Director