Last week Don and I set over chicken at the Detroit Burger Bar. He had the wrap and I had the sandwich. And of course, I had the ever-present glass of tea.

But aside from the meal the conversation was pleasant, quite enjoyable, and filled with insight on a man who gives back to his hometown almost daily.

Don grew up in Farmington Hills graduating from Farmington High School. He married Sandie at 19, having known her since kindergarten.

Printing has been collectively their profession since he first managed an American Speedy Printing Store for 7 years. He moved on to purchase First Impression Print and Marketing when he was 25 years old. As it was based in Howell he and Sandie moved to Howell and built a home.

In 2022 he returned to his home base in Farmington, adding to their business footprint by purchasing GPI Print & Imaging, 8 Mile, between Merriman and Middlebelt.

They kept the Howell store and are just adding the store in Farmington. So Sandie is headquartered in Howell and Don in Farmington—a drive he makes 5 days a week.

With a real partnership and belief in community involvement both Don and Sandie have served as Presidents of the Howell Chamber of Commerce. He now is also a member of the Livonia Chamber.

Sandie also serves on the 100 women of Livingston County. Each woman donates $100 four times a year with the funding going to help community projects and people in need.

Don, a strong advocate for K-12 schooling serves on the Livingston County Intermediate School District and is President of the Howell Education Foundation.

The list goes on and on, but you get the sense that this family-owned business believes in making an impact on the town they call home, whether it is a personal impact or business assistance.

With all this concept of giving back to the community, which comes across loud and clear, they still find time to spend with their three daughters, Kaitylynn, Sarah and Natalie, granddaughter Nora Lynn and a second granddaughter due in March.

Over the 21 years Musings has been published I am continually amazed at the people I meet, the personal stories they share, and the impact they make in the community, not for personal gain but because it is a part of their soul, their fabric of life and living.

Don and Sandie Cortez are two who live their life giving back, making a difference, sharing in the sentiment of Chuck Dardas who often says that life is about "we" not "I," giving back collectively.

My sandwich would have been a nothing burger had it not been for the conversation with Don, sharing the concept of giving back, not for personal gain but because we are improving the lives of our children and grandchildren.

Listening to Don share stories of community projects like the Walk to End Alzheimers, or volunteering automatically when asked to help brand or define a community issue, you can hear the enjoyment of the hours put into making projects a success, not for him but for the community.

Thanks for your support of Seedlings Don. Your donation of $250 this year and $200 last year during their auction has provided 45 more books for the VI community. And you got to have lunch with the typewriter.

Musings would like to introduce Seedlings' new Executive Director, Amanda Hercula!

Amanda started at Seedlings over 4 years ago as a shipping and production assistant. Since then, Amanda has held 4 other roles and gained invaluable organizational-wide experience, touching all areas of Seedlings!

And now with the retirement of the Founder and 40 year Executive Director the baton has been passed. Here is a note from Amanda:

I hope you had a magnificent holiday season and a happy new year! To kick off the new year, I first want to reflect back on 2024, as it was a big year for Seedlings! We celebrated our 40th anniversary, launched a new website, surpassed 750,000 books, and so much more. Most significantly, we honored the remarkable career of our Founder, Debra Bonde, as she announced her retirement. I am so thankful for Debra's leadership over the past 40 years and the solid foundation she laid for Seedlings as we head into this exciting new chapter!

Today, I would like to introduce myself as the new Executive Director at Seedlings Braille Books for Children. I am thrilled to carry the baton for Seedlings well into the future! Working at Seedlings over the past five years has been one of my greatest joys. Seedlings is a magical place and the vast community of supporters, readers, and friends is nothing short of amazing! I am so grateful for our passionate community, which has helped us continue to grow, nourish our mission, and serve our readers. We truly appreciate everything you do for Seedlings!

Q: How did you get your start working at Seedlings?

A: I’ve always known I wanted to work in the nonprofit sector, so when I saw Seedlings was hiring, it felt like the perfect cross-section of my passion for literacy, disability rights, and dedicating my life in the service of others.

Q: You’ve held a lot of different roles since starting at Seedlings, can you tell us about each of them?

A: I started at Seedlings in the shipping and production department, which taught me the ins and outs of our office, our customers, and how our books are made. I then moved into being Production Co-Manager with my counterpart, Kari. It was great to learn with her and start experiencing Seedlings from the managerial side of things. From there, I started to work more closely with Debra and it became clear I had more skills to devote to Seedlings.

Q: What’s your favorite part about working at Seedlings? 

A: That’s a tough one! One of my favorite things is hearing from all of the wonderful children we serve. We receive so many touching pictures and quotes from our kids and their families. I feel so honored to make even a small difference in their lives and it’s absolutely what keeps me going every day.

Q: What’s your all-time favorite book?

A: My personal favorite book is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I will never forget the day I first read it. I was 13, read it all in one sitting, and I was enthralled by the beauty, strength, and knowledge held within those pages. That magical feeling is exactly what I want to give to our readers today. 

Q: Do you have any personal connection to the Visual Impaired (VI) community? 

A: I do! My brother-in-law, John Kusku, has been in my family for around 25 years and he just happens to be blind. I grew up with him and even had braille on my family's microwave and TV remotes. I’ve also worked and volunteered within the VI community for almost 16 years. In that time, I am grateful to have been able to learn through their lived experiences and dedicate myself to being an advocate for the community.