Thornton & Grooms Helping Hero For August 2010 - Boys Hope Girls Hope Of Detroit Receives August Hearts & Heroes Award And $1,000 Gift

Boys Hope Girls Hope believes in children and their ability to overcome challenging circumstances.  High school dropouts cost the economy $260 Billion each year. 20% of American children age seven or younger live below the poverty line these less fortunate children need to realize their importance and what they can accomplish.

Academic, financial, and spiritual support through college is all part of the program at Boys Hope Girls Hope. By providing children with arms-around care, safe homes and environments, a first-class education and opportunities to learn more about themselves and the world, Boys Hope Girls Hope empowers children to realize the potential that is within them.

“At Thornton & Grooms we set high standards and we admire how Boys Hope Girls Hope encourages the same with their scholars by providing everything they will need to meet those standards. In doing so, we’re making our communities, and our world, a better place,” Thornton & Grooms VP, Mike Bergstrom.

To learn more about Boys Hope Girls Hope visit www.boyshopegirlshope.org or call (313) 862.0707.

Pictured: Back Row – Dave Knight, Darleen Thomas – Director, Michael Bergstrom
Front Row – Floyd, India, Audrey & Chelsea – All students in program.

If you have a charity you’d like to nominate for our monthly $1,000 Hearts & Heroes Award, please complete the nomination form or call Thornton & Grooms at 248-644-7810.

Thornton & Grooms Helping Hero For July 2010 - Pontiac Shared Partnership, Camp Hosanna

Thornton & Grooms is proud to honor the Pontiac Shared Partnership – Camp Hosanna as their July recipient of the Hearts & Heroes Award. The partnership sponsors a three-week summer literacy program for local children in second through sixth grades who need a boost in their reading and writing skills. The collaborative effort of three local churches, New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church of Pontiac, the Kirk in the Hill Presbyterian Church of Bloomfield Hills and the First Presbyterian Church of Birmingham make up the Shared Partnership and are celebrating their second successful year. The summer program is a wonderful collaborative effort modeling communities working together. “Their program is exactly what our mission is all about, working together with neighbors to better our communities,” said Thornton & Grooms VP, Mike Bergstrom.

If you have a charity you’d like to nominate for our monthly $1,000 Hearts & Heroes Award, please complete the nomination form.

THORNTON & GROOMS CELEBRATES ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF HEARTS & HEROES AWARD

Thornton and Grooms understands the need to help the less fortunate in our community continues. As a local, family owned and operated business since 1937, T&G continues to help and give back to the community through their Hearts & Heroes Award.

The Hearts & Heroes Award has been providing help to local charitable groups and organizations facing growing challenges due to the economy. Since last June Thornton & Grooms has donated $12,000 to local charities nominated by local customers. The mission was simple and successful; inspire friends, neighbors, customers and other businesses to join together to help our community and families facing difficult times.  "We realize how great the need is with the number of entries we have received.  Over the last year, awarding and conversing with the recipients has been the highlight of my month" said Mike Bergstrom, Vice President, Thornton & Grooms.

Thornton and Grooms is proud to honor The Birmingham Bloomfield Symphony Orchestra (BBSO) as their June recipient of the Hearts & Heroes award. The mission of the BBSO is to provide a high quality, professional orchestra for the Birmingham-Bloomfield community and its surrounding areas, and to offer citizens of all ages the opportunity to experience quality performances featuring distinguished artists. 

Pictured from left to right: Mike Bergstrom, Kim Robinson, Richard Tropea, and Dave Knight.

To learn more about The Birmingham Bloomfield Symphony Orchestra and to find out how you can help, please visit the BBSO website.

If you have a charity you’d like to nominate for our monthly $1,000 Hearts & Heroes Award, please complete the nomination form.

Thornton & Grooms Helping Hero For January 2010 - BASCC

The Birmingham Area Seniors Coordinating Council and Center (BASCC) has been chosen by Thornton & Grooms as the latest recipient of the Hearts & Heroes Award. The mission of BASCC is to identify and meet the needs of older adults by soliciting and coordinating community resources to provide educational, recreational and social programs; supportive outreach services; and volunteer opportunities. For over 30 years, this non-profit organization has provided a range of vital services to seniors in the Birmingham area.

Over 1,200 adults, age 55 years and older, enjoy the social and educational environment BASCC has to offer. The organization’s programs include arts and crafts, book discussion groups, card games, dance, exercise and fitness, mature driver refresher courses, sports leagues, and more.  BASCC also provides outreach services that allow older adults to live independently, such as lawn care, minor home repairs and maintenance, transportation services, even short-term loans of medical equipment like walkers and wheelchairs.

Many seniors and their families rely heavily on the programs and services made possible through BASCC. Due to the current economic climate, funding sources such as grants, donations and other income that the organization relies upon have greatly diminished. The $1,000 grant will be used to defray expenses involved in administering BASCC outreach service efforts, including Meals on Wheels, Medicare and Medicaid counseling, income tax assistance and support groups. 

"Older adults and seniors have been forgotten in this extended economic downturn that has swept the United States, and the state of Michigan, in particular, and people are struggling to make ends meet," says Mike Bergstrom of TGI. "As community centers, senior centers, and even nursing homes are constrained by budgets, the BASCC is filling an important need with their outreach services and helping seniors stay independent. Even more, the center provides entertainment, recreational and social interactions for older adults, which are also necessary during rough times. We’re glad to make a contribution to this worthy organization."

According to Theresa Monsour, coordinator at Birmingham Area Seniors Coordinating Council and Center, “This Hearts & Heroes grant to the BASCC is greatly appreciated and desperately needed. It will directly support the needs of older adults because all our activities focus on coordinating local resources and volunteers to provide necessary services.”

To learn more about The BASCC and to find out how you can help, please visit BASCC.

If you have a charity you’d like to nominate for our monthly $1,000 Hearts & Heroes Award, please complete the nomination form today.

Thornton & Grooms Helping Hero For December 2009 - The Pink Fund

Thornton & Grooms has chosen The Pink Fund Michigan as the December 2009 recipient of the Hearts & Heroes Award. The Bloomfield Hills-based Pink Fund provides short-term financial aid to women and men who are in active treatment for and recovery from breast cancer.  The financial support this charity grants to those already reeling from devastating medical diagnoses has helped make car payments, kept families in their homes, and prevented gas and electricity from being disconnected.

According to Mike Bergstrom of TGI, while millions of dollars are being raised for breast cancer research and treatment development, there are still a significant number of families facing breast cancer that urgently need financial help now.  For them, the diagnosis of breast cancer isn’t just devastating emotionally; it’s financially terrifying, too. Unable to work because of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy treatments, bills can go unpaid and the financial burden could snowball -- especially if the insurance policies that pay for treatments can’t be made.

The Pink Fund Michigan helps to pay the bills of breast cancer patients in active treatment who have lost their stream of income or are unable to perform their job because of side effects from treatment. The organization makes direct bill payments for the maintenance of health insurance premiums, housing and vehicular and other living expenses, The short term financial aid the Pink Fund provides can ease some of the burden on patients so they can focus on healing, being with their families, and getting back into the workplace instead of worrying about monthly bills. 

The Pink Fund’s Molly MacDonald said, “We literally prevent families from facing homelessness. Our program provides a financial bridge from which families can recover when treatment is complete. The most important thing we can do with our donors money is to pay the bills of our qualified recipients. While some donors ask that their funds are ear marked for sustainable expenses or marketing, this donation will be used only for direct bill payments.”

Bergstrom  added, "This disease isn't fair, it can strike anyone. But it is really unfair that anyone should have to lose everything because they became ill. It is good to know organizations like the Pink Fund are around, doing everything they can to help support people who are fighting cancer. We'd like to do what we can to support them, too."

In addition to TGI’s recognition and support, Miss Michigan, Rima Fakih, has selected The Pink Fund for her philanthropic platform during her reign, which concludes in September 2010.

To learn more about The Pink Fund Michigan and to find out how you can help, please visit The Pink Fund Website.

If you have a charity you’d like to nominate for our monthly $1,000 Hearts & Heroes Award, please complete the nomination form today.

Thornton & Grooms Helping Hero For November 2009 - Christ Child Society of Detroit

The Christ Child Society of Detroit has been chosen by Thornton & Grooms, Inc. as the November recipient of the $1,000 Hearts & Heroes Award. This charitable, non-profit, Catholic-affiliated organization of volunteers, embracing members of all denominations, is dedicated to serving the Metropolitan Detroit and surrounding areas of Michigan by promoting the well-being of disadvantaged children and their families.

Over 100 years ago, Mary Virginia Merrick devoted her life to serving needy children, leading the way towards formally organizing the Christ Child Society in 1887. In 1916, it was federated into a national organization.  Today, there are 40 chapters and over 7,100 members in 18 states and the District of Columbia.

The Christ Child Society of Detroit (CCSD) was founded in 1912 by a small group of women led by Mary Catherine Brady. The founders' earliest mission was to assemble and distribute layettes — small bundles of baby clothes and supplies to needy mothers. Times change and CCSD's services have evolved, but their mission to improving the well being of disadvantaged and at-risk children has remained the same.

One of the most important services CCSD performs is the operation of Christ Child House (CCH). This state-licensed, residential treatment facility has been a haven for seriously abused and neglected boys since 1948. There are currently 31 boys ages 5 to 15 years living there. The facility provides individualized, professional medical, social, educational and recreational opportunities for its residents, many of whom are wards of the state. In special cases, CCH administers a hands-on adoption program designed to find each child a loving adoptive home.

"We are proud to support an organization that cares for children who would otherwise have no one looking out for them," said Mike Bergstrom of TGI. "Especially during this tough holiday season, we hope this award will inspire others to volunteer or make a donation to Christ Child Society of Detroit and other groups that make differences in the lives of Michigan’s children."

To learn more about Christ Child Society of Detroit and to find out how you can help, please visit the Christ Child Society of Detroit website.

If you have a charity you’d like to nominate for our monthly $1,000 Hearts & Heroes Award, please complete the nomination form today.

Photo: Mike and Matt Bergstrom from Thornton & Grooms present Jill Barker, President of the local chapter of Christ Child Society of Detroit with the $1,000 monthly Hearts & Heroes Award check.

Thornton & Grooms Helping Hero For October 2009 - Penrickton Center for Blind Children

Thornton & Grooms is pleased to announce the October 2009 honoree of the Hearts & Heros award. Penrickton Center for Blind Children, located in Taylor, Mich, is the fifth recipient of the $1,000 award.

The Penrickton Center for Blind Children was established in 1952 by three families as a day nursery for blind pre-schoolers because no such program existed. Over the years, Penrickton Center has changed to fulfill more needs within the community. Currently, the people at this organization specialize in caring for blind children between the ages of one through twelve who have at least one additional handicap, such as deafness, cerebral palsy, brain damage, and developmental delay.

Children age six and under attend daycare at the center, while the older children live at the center five days of the week. In both cases, an intense program of training and care is provided to help each individual child reach their potential. The organization also provides a consultation and evaluation program to serve those families who may not need daily services.

"The Penrickton Center for Blind Children is a community service that fills an incredibly complicated need. Organizations like this especially deserve all the support that they can get. Too often, the quality of life improvements that they offer to the people they serve are overlooked by the rest of the world,” said to Mike Bergstrom of TGI. "We're happy to give them this gift. Helping to take care of those who help others is not only the right thing to do, it is one of the best things we can do to support our community."

At Penrickton Center for Blind Children, no fees are ever charged to the families who utilize their services. All financial support for the Penrickton Center is raised from individuals, service clubs, corporations, and foundations.

To learn more about Penrickton Center for Blind Children and to find out how you can help, please visit the Penrickton Center for Blind Children website.

If you have a charity you’d like to nominate for our monthly $1,000 Hearts & Heroes Award, please complete the nomination form today.

Thornton & Grooms Helping Hero For September 2009 - Assistance League® of Southeastern Michigan

Thornton & Grooms is pleased to announce the September 2009 honoree of the Hearts & Heros award. Assistance League of Southern Michigan based in Rochester Hills, is the fourth recipient of the $1,000 award.

Assistance League of Southern Michigan is a non-profit organization was founded in 1993 and chartered as the 97th chapter of National Assistance League in 1996 to research, identify, administer and fund philanthropic projects tailored to meet the needs of the less fortunate in Southeastern Michigan.

Adult volunteers have the opportunity to serve their community through chapter membership. high School students may also serve through the Assisteens® auxillary. The positive, upbeat outlook and commitment of members help to make a difference in the lives of others.

To learn more about the wide variety of philanthropic the league supports and to find out how you can help, please visit the Assistance League of Southern Michigan website.

If you have a charity you’d like to nominate for our monthly $1,000 Hearts & Heroes Award, please complete the nomination form today.

Thornton & Grooms Helping Hero For August 2009 - The Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic

Thornton & Grooms is pleased to announce the August 2009 honoree of the Hearts & Heros award.  The Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic, based in Pontiac, is the third recipient of the $1,000 award.

The Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic's mission is to provide uninsured people with medical and dental care services absolutely free of charge. The clinic serves the growing population of the uninsured in Oakland County. With its humble beginnings in a tiny room in Grace Center for Hope, a homeless shelter in Pontiac, the Burnstein Clinic now has its own building with four exam rooms, a dental clinic and a pharmacy.

Through its Prescription Assitance Program the clinic is able to provide all medications without cost to the patient or government assitance. The Burnstein Clinic is staffed entirely by volunteer doctors, dentists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nurses, who treat approximately 300 patients per month free of charge.

Recently, the clinic has been experiencing a shortage of funding and volunteers and have been forced to turn away more new patients. The clinic's dental waiting list is several months long. Without the Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic, many of the patients would have no way to treat their chronic illnesses, like asthma, diabetes, or hypertension.

To learn how you can help, please visit The Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic.

If you have a charity you’d like to nominate for our monthly $1,000 Hearts & Heroes Award, please complete the nomination form today.

Thornton & Grooms Helping Hero For July 2009 - The Allie's Angels Foundation

Thornton & Grooms launched its monthly Hearts & Heroes Award to local charitable organizations last month and has announced the July honoree. The Allie’s Angels Foundation, based in Bloomfield, is the second recipient of the $1,000 award.

The Allie’s Angels Foundation is dedicated to brightening the lives of sick children and their families. The foundation was established in memory of Allie Cibulas, who was only 4½ years old when she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in February of 2001. Though she bravely fought her illness, in September of that year Allie lost her battle with cancer. Through this foundation, her indomitable spirit carries on to help seriously ill children, inspire others, and to contribute toward the effort to cure pediatric brain cancer.

The nominator of this month’s honoree Joan Milligan said, “The Allie’s Angels Foundation does incredible things for sick children in our local community. They have just redesigned and decorated the pediatric treatment and waiting room at the Rose Cancer Center within William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak.  They will likely use the money to fill it with toys.”

When a child is newly diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, the first thing the Allie’s Angels volunteers do is deliver “Allie’s Angels Diagnosis Bags” to help the families.  These bags include practical items like a binder for the parents in which to store medical information, along with fun items like a board game to pass the time during hospital visits, a diary, and an age appropriate book.  Additionally, Allie’s Angels host craft days and an annual "Day of Beauty," pampering pediatric patients from head to toe, from cutting hair and shaping wigs to manicures and pedicures.  The foundation also deliver carts filled with free gifts every year to pediatric wards so children who must stay in the hospital over the holidays can "shop" for presents for their family members.

The foundation’s “Ask an Angel” service offers to grant "mini wishes" to children who are having a particularly hard time with their illness. They will pay for items or activities that families cannot afford to give their children due to the high cost of medical treatments. Some of the gifts they have given included laptop computers and American Girl Doll sets. They even sent a patient to prom - complete with dress and limousine.

If you have a charity you’d like to nominate for our monthly $1,000 Hearts & Heroes Award, please complete the nomination form today.

Thornton & Grooms Helping Hero For June 2009 - Ladies of Charity of St. Vincent De Paul at St. Hugo of The Hills

All across Oakland County more and more people that have given to charities in the past are now depending on them today. The hardship families and individuals are facing is greater than ever before and growing.

Thornton & Grooms is pleased to announce that the Ladies of Charity of St. Vincent De Paul at St. Hugo of The Hills has been selected to receive our $1,000 Hearts & Heroes Award for June.

Started when the need arose in 1967 after the riots in downtown Detroit, this charitable group provides food, clothing, house wares and other items to help disadvantaged individuals and families in Oakland County.

This year they have helped over 18,000 people an increase of 40% over the past year and during these difficult economic times, the need for help will continue to grow.

Our $1,000 Hearts & Heroes Award to the Ladies of Charity of St. Vincent De Paul at St. Hugo of The Hills will assist them in helping more individuals and families facing challenging times. This is 100% volunteer group with 100% of all donations going directly to people in need. We want to thank them for their hard work and caring for the less fortunate in our community.  

If you have a charity you’d like to nominate for our monthly $1,000 Hearts & Heroes Award, please complete the nomination form form today.