President Eileen Foster called the meeting to order at 1:30. Ramona Lalka, Anne Southworth, Connie Latuszek, & Dorothy Kociba provided snacks for the 19 ladies present at our meeting.
Donna St. John, director of Home to Stay (formerly Midland Area Homes) was our speaker. Donna told us that Blessed Sacrament was one of the original 10 churches that banded together in 1969 to address housing issues in our community. Home to Stay is the Housing Assessment and Resource Agency (HARA) for Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MISHDA). They help people connect with housing resources. MISHDA mandates eligibility criteria. MISHDA has federal funds available to help tenants facing hardships avoid eviction while also ensuring landlords can recoup owed rent through the Covid Emergency Rental Assistance (CERA) program. Home to stay received 800 applications for CERA grants. Home to Stay also has a home repair program where they assist homeowners with furnace and hot water repairs and with ramp builds. They have gotten out of the appliance repair business. Another agency, Pivot Point, will pick up used appliances. Home to Stay still picks up used furniture and redistributes to those in need. Donna said there is a housing shortage in Midland for all income brackets.
Eileen Foster thanked Linda Miles for making blankets from corners that we cut out from our blanket making sessions. These blankets are then donated to Care Giving Network.
Treasurer Tana Zemanek reported our current balance of $5729.57. Elaine White read the minutes from our November meeting.
Aimee Kopiwoda said Kathy & Dan Risch donated bins of yarn and crocheted items to the Assumption Stitch and Prayer group. We thank Kathy and Dan for their generosity.
Linda Graf reported on the Legacy Center’s second grade after school reading program where we provided snacks for 20 second grade students for two weeks in January. Linda Graf and Anne Boyd are our current funeral lunch leaders. They have worked very hard to recruit new leaders. Women who have volunteered for funeral lunch leadership are Jill Kreusch, Cheryl Lane, Connie Messinger, and Stephanie Leibfritz. We have had 13 funeral lunches since July 26th when we resumed lunches after a Covid pause.
Indira and Ed Oskvarek are hosting a Valentine dinner on Sunday, February 6th from 10 am to 2 pm at St. Brigid Church. Take outs will be available. The cost for the dinner is by donation to raise money for the residents of Mayfield KY who were affected by recent tornadoes. All are welcome.
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, March 1st at 1:30 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Elaine White