The Saturday Swing: 2nd Annual
Donation protected
Hi! My name is Lindsey Mead and I am a Saginaw, MI resident and an upcoming freshman at Saginaw Valley State University.
The 2nd Annual Saturday Swing is a go! With over $4,000 raised for the residents of Community Village last year, we are hoping to exceed that goal - and have some fun while doing it. My idea for The Saturday Swing sparked with my senior project last year. With its success, I want to make this event an annual fundraiser for the amazing elders at Community Village. Please take the time to read my story and understand my purpose!
My tale begins in May of 2014. My grandparents had a beloved friend residing in Community Village (a local Christian home for the aged). I visited him often with my entire family and grew quite fond of him. His health was deteriorating, though, and one day he became very sick. My family were the only people that stood by his bedside before he passed away, due to the fact his friends and family no longer had connections with him. This encounter struck me hard that everyday people are leaving this earth without family and friends by their side, and that moment we left the hospice center, I was signed up to volunteer at Community Village to hopefully create friendships with other residents there.
The next week I was sitting in the volunteer coordinators office filling out paperwork and figuring out which resident I should get paired up with to visit. I asked the coordinator to place me with somebody who had no visitors or local family members. She found the perfect match instantly – Margaret.
I visited twice a week after school and before I knew it, Margaret and I would be caught up in constant conversation for hours. Now, I go at least once a week, every week. We have truly become best friends. Margaret introduced me to some of her friends from Community Village, as well, and now I visit with tons of residents. They know me all by name and I know them all by name. I am the only volunteer at Community Village that specifically attends to just visit with people and they love it! I celebrate birthdays with them and often bake treats to pass out to everyone. The bond I have made with these wonderful people, especially Margaret, has made the biggest impact on my life.
I went in to volunteering at Community Village expecting to change people’s lives. I never knew that they would be the ones who changed mine. I am seeing life through a different perspective because of these incredible residents and their individual stories. I could not be more thankful for the opportunities I have come across because of this experience and I want to do even more for them. That is what brings me to the cause for donations!
As a senior, I was required to come up with a unique senior project idea in order to graduate. I sat and thought about it constantly, but I finally came up with the perfect plan. Since Community Village is run by Saginaw’s Rescue Ministries, many of the residents have low income or none at all, and don’t have the funds to be able to afford simple necessities. I decided that the perfect senior project theme would be directed towards Community Village and my volunteering experience there. I have come up with the fundraiser, The Saturday Swing, to gather donations to be able to purchase Christmas gifts for the residents, buy them clothes and shoes, and even give a portion of money made towards field trips so they can get out of their home sometimes. All of the proceeds will go towards the Community Village residents in some shape way or form, and I need your help to make this event possible.
The Saturday Swing will be a night full of entertainment held at The American Legion on Weiss Street in Saginaw, MI. This will be on Saturday, November 26th, 2016 from 7:00 – 11:00 PM. Tickets will be sold in advance and at the door for $10 per person. That night, live music will be provided by Count N’ Change and there will also be a silent auction, 50/50 drawings, lots of dancing, food provided, and much more! This has all been planned out properly and has been approved, and with a little help from you, I can reward the people at Community Village who have changed my life with all they deserve.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. I appreciate it so much! Make sure you save the date for The Saturday Swing and I hope to see you there. Lets make it even bigger and more fun than last year! Your donations would be appreciated from the bottom of my heart. I can’t wait to see this all pull through again. Contact me at [email redacted] if you have any questions. Thank you!
With love,
Lindsey Mead
The 2nd Annual Saturday Swing is a go! With over $4,000 raised for the residents of Community Village last year, we are hoping to exceed that goal - and have some fun while doing it. My idea for The Saturday Swing sparked with my senior project last year. With its success, I want to make this event an annual fundraiser for the amazing elders at Community Village. Please take the time to read my story and understand my purpose!
My tale begins in May of 2014. My grandparents had a beloved friend residing in Community Village (a local Christian home for the aged). I visited him often with my entire family and grew quite fond of him. His health was deteriorating, though, and one day he became very sick. My family were the only people that stood by his bedside before he passed away, due to the fact his friends and family no longer had connections with him. This encounter struck me hard that everyday people are leaving this earth without family and friends by their side, and that moment we left the hospice center, I was signed up to volunteer at Community Village to hopefully create friendships with other residents there.
The next week I was sitting in the volunteer coordinators office filling out paperwork and figuring out which resident I should get paired up with to visit. I asked the coordinator to place me with somebody who had no visitors or local family members. She found the perfect match instantly – Margaret.
I visited twice a week after school and before I knew it, Margaret and I would be caught up in constant conversation for hours. Now, I go at least once a week, every week. We have truly become best friends. Margaret introduced me to some of her friends from Community Village, as well, and now I visit with tons of residents. They know me all by name and I know them all by name. I am the only volunteer at Community Village that specifically attends to just visit with people and they love it! I celebrate birthdays with them and often bake treats to pass out to everyone. The bond I have made with these wonderful people, especially Margaret, has made the biggest impact on my life.
I went in to volunteering at Community Village expecting to change people’s lives. I never knew that they would be the ones who changed mine. I am seeing life through a different perspective because of these incredible residents and their individual stories. I could not be more thankful for the opportunities I have come across because of this experience and I want to do even more for them. That is what brings me to the cause for donations!
As a senior, I was required to come up with a unique senior project idea in order to graduate. I sat and thought about it constantly, but I finally came up with the perfect plan. Since Community Village is run by Saginaw’s Rescue Ministries, many of the residents have low income or none at all, and don’t have the funds to be able to afford simple necessities. I decided that the perfect senior project theme would be directed towards Community Village and my volunteering experience there. I have come up with the fundraiser, The Saturday Swing, to gather donations to be able to purchase Christmas gifts for the residents, buy them clothes and shoes, and even give a portion of money made towards field trips so they can get out of their home sometimes. All of the proceeds will go towards the Community Village residents in some shape way or form, and I need your help to make this event possible.
The Saturday Swing will be a night full of entertainment held at The American Legion on Weiss Street in Saginaw, MI. This will be on Saturday, November 26th, 2016 from 7:00 – 11:00 PM. Tickets will be sold in advance and at the door for $10 per person. That night, live music will be provided by Count N’ Change and there will also be a silent auction, 50/50 drawings, lots of dancing, food provided, and much more! This has all been planned out properly and has been approved, and with a little help from you, I can reward the people at Community Village who have changed my life with all they deserve.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. I appreciate it so much! Make sure you save the date for The Saturday Swing and I hope to see you there. Lets make it even bigger and more fun than last year! Your donations would be appreciated from the bottom of my heart. I can’t wait to see this all pull through again. Contact me at [email redacted] if you have any questions. Thank you!
With love,
Lindsey Mead
Organizer
Lindsey Mead
Organizer
Saginaw, MI