Kiwanis Club offers a lending room to help give and receive – Macomb Daily

James, according to his friend, sat in his refurbished custom wheelchair and happily headed to his favorite Dollar Tree store, thanks to the Kiwanis Club of Shelby Township Golden K.

The club offers free — mostly used — mobile devices and home assistance equipment to anyone who needs them at a warehouse at 51660 Van Dyke Ave., open from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesdays and Fridays. He can also help with renovations, as he did with James.

“What happened was his wheelchair hub broke. He kind of broke from the inside,” Kiwanian Rich Morian said. “We had a wheelchair in stock that was the same size and shape, so we took the wheel off and gave it to the family to see if it would fit his custom-made upholstered chair with cushions for support.

“The wheelchair company told them it would take three or four months to get him a new wheel, and we were able to expedite their work,” Morian said. “We were lucky that we were able to help the family. This chair is the only way for him to move and it has been a huge relief for the family. Our clients and our members are truly fortunate to help each other.”

Caregivers of the deceased come to the lending office experiencing their grief in different ways: some want to donate equipment right away, others cannot part with it for some time.

“Ninety percent of our equipment is donated by the community, which often brings tears,” Morian said. “One woman lost her husband and pet on Friday and called on Monday to bring donations on Tuesday. Another woman said that after two years she was ready to give up her husband’s medical equipment, which was in her basement.

“We also provide a variety of medical equipment to families who are suddenly faced with a loved one in crisis who is soon being discharged home, as well as caring for those who now need day-to-day assistance. Again, people are often overcome with emotion and tears when receiving equipment to care for a loved one,” Morian said. “This is an area that I never thought about, but we are really touching lives, helping them through grief by passing on this equipment to others.

“A woman came in whose son had multiple sclerosis, and she literally burst into tears, saying that all she needed to live was Social Security, and he was denied benefits. We provided her with a medical bed and some other things,” he said. “Sometimes we become a conduit connecting people and equipment, such as a stair lift or chair lift, that is too large to fit into our facility.”

Donations also come from places like the Rochester Senior Activities Center (there were two vans recently) and veterans organizations.

“We receive donations for new items from Woodside Bible Church. The woman there always gives us packs of diapers and stuff. We’ve been getting a lot of baby walkers and wheelchairs lately,” he said.

Not all medical supplies are donated. The club buys more diapers and adult disposables when they see a need, and spends a fair amount of money on gas for their cars.

The Kiwanis family supports the project by playing golf and holding a late winter race fundraiser, Night at the Races. What they need is monetary donations, and corporate sponsors would be very welcome. In the future, they may have to look for a more permanent location of about 4,000 square feet.

A woman living near the facility had a son who recently died of multiple sclerosis.

“The struggle to get equipment for him was huge, and we were the only ones who called her back and said we were interested in getting her equipment, which was unique to him,” Morian said. His gear helped him stand.

Availability changes constantly, but recently a mother was delighted to find a box of feeding tubes for her 13-year-old child.

For information or to volunteer, call Morian at 248-821-1496. Golden K members have several volunteers who are willing to use their vans, pickup trucks and labor to help move equipment, but also hope that people can deliver goods to them.

The club’s 25 members, most of them retirees, meet at 9 a.m. on the second and fourth Mondays in rooms 2 and 3 of the Shelby Township Senior Center at 14975 21 Mile Road. New members are welcome to join.

Pasta dinner raises money for wreaths in New Baltimore

The Wreaths Across America Pasta Dinner will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Nov. 7 at Veterans of Foreign Wars Lempke-Blackwell Post 7573, 35011 23 Mile Road, New Baltimore. Wreaths will be laid at the graves of veterans at Oakwood and St. Mary’s cemeteries on December 14th. Voluntary donations for the dinner are accepted at the entrance of the meal; drinks are available for purchase. At 18:00 and 19:30 50-50 drawings.

For those unable to attend but wish to sponsor a wreath, please mail a check for $17 to “Wreaths Across America Local ID#MISMNB” and 51998 Oxford Court, New Baltimore MI 48047. See Facebook page “New Baltimore wreaths across America.” or call New Baltimore Lions Club community coordinators: Mario Jimenez at 586-307-2563 or Jason Wheatus at 785-375-0307, ​​or email [email protected]. VAA website Wreathsacrossamerica.org

Registration for the Mount Clemens Goodfellows Festival is November 7-8.

Since 1928, the Mount Clemens Goodfellows—or, more formally, the Goodfellows Old and Young Newspaper Association of Mount Clemens, Michigan—has operated under the motto: “No Child Without Christmas.”

This year, registration for families with children 12 and younger is from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 7 and 8 at the First Presbyterian Church Family Life Center, 168 Cass Ave., Mount Clemens. Parents or legal guardians of children seeking assistance must be able to prove residency in Mount Clemens. Families can bring utility bills or credit card statements, as well as birth certificates or guardianship documents.

Goodfellows raises money through its annual Razzberry newspaper sale in December and its annual raffle in November. Proceeds go toward the program, not toward salaries or administrative costs. Goodfellows will participate in the city’s tree lighting ceremony on Nov. 22 at the Mount Clemens Fountain stage downtown and in the Mount Clemens Santa Claus Parade on Nov. 23. Call 586-468-7814 or take a look. mountclemensgoodfellows.com

The K of C euchre tournament will take place on November 8th in Saint-Hubert.

Knights of Columbus Council 11658 is hosting a Super Euchre tournament on November 8th. Proceeds support Mike Dee’s family who are suffering from acute myeloid leukemia. They are members of St. Louis Parish in Clinton Township. The event will be held at the St. Hubert Entertainment Center, 38775 Prentiss St., Harrison Township. The tournament consists of eight games with prizes and 50/50 drawings. The event will run from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm, with dinner at 6:15 pm and the tournament at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $30 per person and include dinner, refreshments and dessert. For more information, contact Jay Walsh at 586-306-3523.

Richmond Rotary Review, November 8

Video of the Richmond Rotary Roundup races will take place Nov. 8 at the Zuccaro Banquet Center, 46601 Gratiot Ave., Chesterfield Township. Tickets are $60 to “raise funds for friends, food and entertainment” for the Richmond Rotary Foundation, Great Lakes Burn Camp, Fisher House, Game On Cancer (Detroit Lions). There’s family-style dining and an open bar; doors open at 5:30 p.m.; bar at 18:00; dinner at 18:30. Sponsorships are available in amounts of $2500 and $1000. Race sponsor – $100, horse sponsor – $25. For more information, contact Falyn Bauman at [email protected] or 586-419-1911.

Send news about service clubs and veteran organizations to Linda May at [email protected] or call her landline at 586-791-8116.