Week of December 7th, 2020
Keep those masks on and send us YOUR favorite pic!
"Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.” 
– Charles M. Schulz
Kenilee's bowling leagues took a few weeks off because of the local spike in COVID cases. Many of the leagues came back this week, but the CLI teams are "bowling out" on their own and submitting their scores to league until Huron County gets back in the Yellow. There are CLI teams in 3 separate leagues and many people in all 3 leagues have let us know how much more fun it was to bowl when the CLI teams were there!
"I don't think Christmas is necessarily about things. It's about being good to one another." 
— Carrie Fisher
John's Usual Excuses & Apologies--

Last week was a bit subdued at CLI as we all came back from the extended Thanksgiving break-- just in time for our first snow day of the upcoming season! Ugh.

I used to love snow, and I still really enjoy outdoor winter activities, but I'd be lying if I told you that I haven't appreciated the mild winters we've been getting lately. It's hard to decide whether to cancel. We're driving a lot less than we used to. Also, we've always used school closings as an indication of what we should do. However, this year I'm not always sure that road conditions are the schools' only consideration. We know that people count on CLI to be there. If snow days are a potential problem for you, let us know and we'll try to work with your SSA to see if we can line up a back-up STEPS service where staff come to you.

On the positive side, the snow was beautiful and it really helps it feel like Christmas at least.
Speaking of Christmas, CLI is happy to help anyone with their shopping again this year. However, we will only help you shop in very safe venues. This might mean working together to order something online (you can pay CLI back if you don't have a credit card) -- or actually shopping in person at any small local shops that we can all agree are safe, clean and sparsely populated.

Please share your pictures showing you Christmas (or New Year's) spirit. This newsletter is always more interesting when there are lots of new pictures of different people in it.
John
Don't be a Scrooge
(or a Grinch)!

Send in your holiday pics!
Just a reminder that CLI will be closed for a longer break this holiday season so that we can make sure that we've allowed enough time for each of us to isolate so that it's safe to gather in our small groups in 2021.
"Love the giver more than the gift."
– Brigham Young
Shea, Sara & Julie were hard at work at the Reservoir Clubhouse, volunteering their labor, Shea tying knots to make this Browns blanket & Sarah getting ready to do some food prep for the Good Works Cafe
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
-- Albert Einstein
Firelands Local LLC Update:
James Johnson
419-921-6400
Think you know where this week's picture was taken?

Call, text, or email me with your answer!
From GM James Johnson--
Last week was another busy week for Firelands Local.
We have started the process of the “kick James to the curb” grant and to announce our latest news……Firelands got final approval on Friday for a new production job. It will involve windshield washer nozzles. We will be processing at least 12,000 units per week. The companies contract is through August of 2023. They are planning on us doing this work for at least the next 3 years.
 
Production crews completed over 50,000 pieces and we shredded about 21,000 pounds of paper.
 
I wanted to take a few moments to talk about covid-19. I don’t normally spend a lot of time with this subject because John usually talks about it in his section. I wanted to talk about the importance of communication. It is extremely important to inform someone if you are sick. It may be nothing, we can’t take any chances. There should be no shame in telling someone you are sick. The reason it is so critical is because we have to act quickly in order to slow a possible spread of the virus. 

This is something that we all need to keep in mind. It seems as though winter is here and people normally get sick this time of year. We can’t just simply assume it is a cold or the flu or a 24 hour thing. We have to notify someone. This, along with the precautions that we are all taking will help keep the virus from spreading through our groups.
 
Speaking of winter, what a snow storm last week! I know most of us do not like to see the snow. There is actually a lot of beauty with snow falls. Attached is a picture taken in the woods Tuesday afternoon after the bulk of the snow had fallen. 
 
Please take the appropriate actions to safe during the inclement weather.
“Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.”
-- Henri Frederic Amiel
Who says there's NO FREE LUNCH? We know people--
How is CLI able to afford giving away free food when we (and everybody else is hustling to break-even)?

It's a good question. The answer is that CLI invested a (very) small amount of seed money in April to open up a new checking account just for the Good Works Cafe. After that, it's been 100% funded by donations.

Our on-going investment now is just time. CLI is always looking to help people give to their local community. Got an idea of something that a small group can to do to help? Let us know!
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”
-- William Arthur Ward
The FREE Good Works Cafe will runs every Friday at 11:30 am until they run out of meals.
If you or a friend want a delicious meal but cannot get transportation, we can deliver to you for a $20 donation!

*Donations are accepted & 100% go to future Fridays.*
DODD has some decent online content these days.

Click the video on the left to see a clip of Director Davis and Dr. Sorg with an update about the pandemic and the holidays.

You can find more videos by clicking on either the youtube or the DODD website buttons below.

Spread the word!