The Rotary Club of East Lansing and the Kroger Company have proudly teamed-up again this year to support East Lansing’s Haven House. Since 2009, the Rotary Club has raised money from its members to provide Haven House residents with Thanksgiving dinners and household supplies. Founded in 1983, Haven House provides emergency housing and support services for one-parent and two-parent families with children. The shelter helps families who are homeless prepare for permanent housing by developing and promoting self-sufficiency, stability, and financial responsibility. Rotary Club members donated a total of $770 towards this year’s project.
The Rotary Club is providing three turkey dinners, and Kroger is donating two additional dinners to this effort aimed at making the Thanksgiving Day holiday a little brighter for the 30 family members currently receiving assistance from Haven House. Each turkey dinner includes: a 10-13 lb. turkey, potatoes, stuffing, gravy, cranberry relish and a pumpkin pie.
A certificate for the dinners was presented to Haven House Director Angie Mayeaux by the East Lansing Rotary Club President Nathan Triplett at the Club’s November 19, 2011 meeting. “Our club is proud to support the good work that Haven House does to assist homeless families. They are a constant reminder to us of the good things going on daily in our community”, said Triplett.
In addition to the turkey dinners, the E.L. Rotary Club also donated household supplies to fill the “exit baskets” that Haven House gives to each family that leaves their program to go into housing on their own. Each “exit basket” contains 35 different household items, including: a laundry basket, sponges, tub/tile cleaner, disinfectant spray, toilet bowl cleaner, toilet bowl brush & holder, dish soap, laundry soap, bar soap, dryer sheets/fabric softener, 2 buckets, mop, broom, dust pan, furniture polish, window cleaner, floor cleaner, pan scrubbers, paper towels, toilet paper, kitchen cleaner, bleach, Pine Sol cleaner, shampoo, deodorants for men & women, a hairbrush and comb, room deodorizer, band-aids, first aid kit, pot holders, comet, baking soda, trash bags, a small trash can, and toothpaste.
“We’re really appreciative the efforts of Kroger and the Rotary Club to provide a wonderful dinner on Thanksgiving Day for our families. And, the “Exit Baskets” donated by the Rotary Club will be a big boost in helping families get settled into their own housing,” commented Haven House Rotary Club of East Lansing Executive Director Angie Mayeaux.
The Rotary Club of East Lansing has a long record of community service dating back to its formation in 1961. The Club has nearly 100 members and has supported a broad spectrum of community projects, like the Playground in the Park at Patriarche Park, the East Lansing Softball fields and Aquatic Center and the renovation of Haven House.
The Kroger Co. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio (NYSE:KR) is one of the nation’s largest grocery retailers, with fiscal 2011 sales of $90.3 billion. Kroger operates 2,425 stores in 31 states; including five supermarkets in the Lansing area.