News from Highfields - November 16, 2015

An Update for Friends of Highfields · November 16, 2015

Merissa's Journey through Reaching Higher

Middle school memories are bittersweet for Merissa. Coming into sixth grade she was having issues adapting to the changes of a new school. Merissa was struggling with low motivation due to depression, her grades were slipping, and she had a lot of anxiety.

However, that all changed once Merissa joined Highfields' Reaching Higher program.

Merissa is currently a 17 year-old senior at Springport High School, and she is a mentor for the middle school students in Reaching Higher.

When she thinks back to her middle school years, she says it started out rough, but once she began going to Reaching Higher it made a significant impact on her life. She wanted to become a mentor to give back to the program that had given her so much.

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Board Profile: Michael Foster

Michael Foster waited a long time before he could finally serve on Highfields' board. He knew about Highfields his entire life growing up in Jackson, Michigan, and was impressed by the residential services they provided to the community.

In his early years working at Plante Moran, he did the audit for Highfields for several years. During that time he became more interested in Highfields' services and longed to contribute on the board, but he was unable to join while working on the Highfields audit.

Years later, Michael finally had the opportunity to become a board member. He jumped at the chance to be a part of Highfields.

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Strengthening Families Fundraising Breakfast Update!

Highfields' Annual Strengthening Families Fundraising Breakfast took place on October 29th at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center in East Lansing. We had almost 300 people in attendance to enjoy a great breakfast, listen to powerful stories, and support Highfields.

We are pleased to share with our donors that thanks to your generous support, we received enough donations to get the matching gift from the Dart Foundation! In response to the Breakfast, we raised over $90,000 in donations, including the Dart Foundation matching gift!

We couldn't have done it without the gracious support of our donors. Thank you for believing in Highfields and our vision of creating bright futures for children, their families, and communities.

In This Issue:

Upcoming Events

Holiday Toy Drive

Highfields' 11th Annual Toy Drive, sponsored by WLNS and select Mid-Michigan Ford Dealers, begins on Monday, November 23rd and runs through Monday, December 14.

All toys gathered will be wrapped and delivered by Highfields' staff to families in need this holiday season.

For more information, and a complete list of participating locations, please visit:

highfields.org/events

Thanks for helping bring joy to families and children across Mid-Michigan!

Find Highfields on Social Media

Highfields, Inc.| www.highfields.org

Onondaga Campus

5123 Old Plank Road

Onondaga, MI, 49264

(517) 628-2287

Lansing Office

4305 S. Cedar Street

Lansing, MI, 48910

(517) 887-2762

Jackson Office

1206 Clinton Road

Jackson, MI, 49202

(517) 783-4250

Howell Office

204 S. Highlander Way, Suite 3

Howell, MI, 48843

(517) 262-0874

Hillsdale Office

51 S. Howell Street

Hillsdale, MI, 49242

(517) 212-8168

Board of Directors

Officers

Sara Bennett, Chairperson

Two Men and a Truck

Mark Emmert, Chairperson-Elect

The Dart Bank

James B. Hunsanger, Treasurer

MSU Federal Credit Union

Wallace Markham, Secretary

Retired

JP Morgan Chase Bank

Directors

Peg Asmus Dart Foundation	Kristin Bartley Two Men and a Truck	Bill Bockwitz Retired Spring Arbor University	Anethia Brewer 54A District Court
Bill Clark Clark Construction Company	Patrick Dean Dean Transportation	Michael Foster Plante Moran, PLLC	Susan Fulton Retired Department of Health and Human Services
Jeff Hertrich Accident Fund Holdings, Inc.	Mike Hull MSU Spartan Linen Services	Eric Jamison Michigan's Attorney General's Office	Karen Johns Retired Department of Health and Human Services
Mark Kellogg Fraser, Trebilcock, Davis & Dunlap, P.C.	Chivon Kloepfer WLNS TV 6	Jeff D. Klug Klug Law Firm	Helen "Lizzie" Mills Fahey, Schultz, Burzych, Rhodes, PLC
Nick Oertel Foster, Swift, Collins and Smith, P.C.	Doug Peters Christman Constructors, Inc.	Tom Reder Bergmann Associates	Katie Rexrode Jackson National Life
Tanda Reynolds Retired Department of Health and Human Services	Marlon Roberts Office of General Counsel	Reshma Sambare Miller Canfield	Tom Shewchuck City of Ann Arbor

Senior Managers

Brian Philson, CEO/President	Timothy Monroe, Vice President	Jill Clark, Director, Community Services - South Team
Derek Hitchcock, Director, Residential Services	Beverley McGill, Director, Fund Development	Edward St. John, Director, Finance