“Chops” is slang for musical ability or technical virtuosity, especially when discussing jazz.  If you’ve got ‘chops,” you’re talented. 

So it’s very fitting that the Detroit premiere of the jazz documentary “Chops” will benefit Upton Hills School, a school founded in 1971 to celebrate the power of creativity.  The benefit will be held on Thursday, January 28, 2010, from 6:30-9:30 PM at the Main Art Theatre, 118 North Main Street, Royal Oak, Michigan.

CHOPS was directed by Detroit native Bruce Broder.  It tells the story of a group of kids with extraordinary musical ability who learn to make the most of their gifts in a highly regarded public school jazz program in Jacksonville, FL.  The film follows their musical journey from Florida to New York City, where they compete against the top high school jazz bands in the nation at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s prestigious Essentially Ellington Competition and Festival. 

The film has received rave reviews and quite a few awards since its debut at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival and subsequent appearances at film festivals across the country. It’s awards include the International Documentary Association’s Alan Ett Music Documentary Award, three Audience Favorite Awards and two Grand Prizes. It was selected by the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. and shown at the Duke Ellington Centennial Celebration.

It also has a number of significant connections to the Detroit Area.  It was produced and directed by Detroit native Bruce Broder, a graduate of The Roeper School, Cranbrook School and The University of Michigan. CHOPS marks Broder’s directorial debut of a feature length film.  Bruce’s son Owen Broder is one of the central subjects of the film and began his music studies in the Detroit area. Famed jazz club Baker's Keyboard Lounge serves as the setting for the film’s opening sequence.  And much of the film’s post-production and mixing was done at Postique of Southfield and Ringside Creative of Oak Park.

Need more reasons to attend the debut?  Check out these reviews:

“Anyone who wonders why jazz and the movies are often called the quintessential American arts should check out Bruce Broder's exhilarating documentary about high school jazz bands, CHOPS…"  – Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun

‘The film is so well made, a labor of love…just the feeling of it, the soul of it all.’
-Wynton Marsalis, Artistic Director, Jazz at Lincoln Center

“It made me laugh, made me tear up, made me feel great.  It was fantastic.”
-Andrea Mineo, CNN

For more information about the benefit, please call Upland Hills School at 248-693-2878 or visit the website at www.uplandhills.org

Attention Detroit seniors!  Want to feel better this year?  Then join your fellow Detroit seniors and get the information you need to preserve your health and wellness directly from medical and health professionals.

Come to the Matrix Human Services Health and Wellness Extravaganza on January 11 and 12, 2010 from 10:30am to 2:30pm.  This free two day health information fair will be held at the new John J. Villa Wellness Center at the city of Detroit’s Patton Recreation Center, 2301 Woodmere St., Detroit, MI 48209.

Topics include nutrition, preserving memory, elder law, staying happy in older life, and safety.  Plus, Senator Hansen Clarke will help answer your Medicare insurance questions.

Matrix Human Services is partnering with Wayne State University’s Institute of Gerontology (IOG), DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital Rosa Parks Geriatric Center, and the City of Detroit Recreation Department.  This event is funded in part by the Detroit Area Agency on Aging.  For more information call Tiffany at (313) 831-8650.

The Detroit Area Agency on Aging was recently featured on Street Beat which airs on WWJ-TV’s sister station, CW50 (WKBD-TV).  The entire show dealt with concerns of the elderly or those with low incomes.  To view the entire program, go to Events page of the CW50 website:  http://cw50detroit.com/events

I’m sitting next to a space heater, my toes toasty warm, but the rest of me chilled from the cold draft coming from the windows.  The temps have hit the “too cold” mark…you know what I mean, it doesn’t matter what they actually read, it will still be “too cold” for me. 

On days like this, I am thankful for people like Ryan Hertz, Executive Director for H.O.P.E. Hospitality & Warming Center in Pontiac.   Hertz and the Center’s many volunteers provide a warm place for the homeless during the coldest months of the year.

“Each evening that HOPE operates, it is able to provide meals, showers, dry clothing, a warm place to sleep, nurse visits, rapid-rehousing assistance, service referrals, and more for up to sixty-five people struggling with homelessness,” said Hertz. “This winter alone, we have the capacity to provide up to 10,000 nights of accommodation.”

“HOPE is the only option for many in our community to find refuge from the cold, as it is the only emergency shelter in the area that does not limit the amount of time a person can access its services, and has a commitment to never turn away any person in need.”

“To give you some idea, an annual contribution of $365--a dollar a day--allows HOPE to provide a person with food, shelter, and supportive services for an entire month of winter. $85 provides the resources to assist someone for a whole week. Even $25 keeps someone warm and fed for a couple nights,” said Hertz.

You can make a contribution to HOPE through Network for Good  or mail a check to HOPE Hospitality & Warming Center, P.O. Box 431548, Pontiac, MI 48343. 

“I sincerely thank you for your generosity,” said Hertz. “Every little bit you give of yourself really does help to create a better world for all of us.”

The Lighthouse of Oakland County has been busy this holiday season.
 
For the past two weeks employees and volunteers at Lighthouse have been packing and distributing items, clothing and other goods to more than 1,000 families who are being helped with Lighthouse's Holiday Help and Adopt-A-Family programs.

All Saints' Episcopal Church in Pontiac is the center of all their efforts.  It's been completely filled with donated household items, clothing, and more that will be distributed to families in need. 

Lighthouse makes a significant effort to help solve poverty, rather than just treat it. And this year the need is greater than ever before. If you would like to help, visit the website:  www.lighthouseoakland.org

Times may be tough for individuals and businesses, but here are a few companies who get kudos for giving back to the community. 

FOOD BASKETS FOR FAMILIES IN NEED
Needy families in the Eastern Market area will receive holiday food baskets because of the hard work of volunteers from the offices of the Mayor, City Clerk and City Council, local area merchants, Michigan Food and Beverage Association and the Eastern Market area.

Hundreds of baskets were filled with canned hams, vegetables, fruits, soft drinks and bread which has been donated by merchants in the area during the annual event held on Tuesday, December 15, 2009.
 
Participating organizations included R. Hirt Jr. & Co., Pepsi Bottling Group, Milano Bakery, Tony Lin Produce, Andrews Brothers, Rocky Produce, Tom Maceri and Son Produce, Tony Nuccio & Sons, Royal Banana, Tony Nuccio & Sons, Del Bene Produce, Germack Pistacio, White Brokerage Company, Wolverine Packing,  Michigan Food and Beverage Association, merchants at Eastern Market and Fr. Norman Thomas of Sacred Heart church and his staff.

“It is only right that we provide baskets for families living in the area with products our members pack and sell,” said Ed Deeb, president of Michigan Food and Beverage Association, and co-founder and  board member of Eastern Market Corporation which represent more than 175 members located in the area.  “We have been doing this for 23 years,” he said.  

CREDIT UNION WINS STATEWIDE AWARDS
The Communicating Arts Credit Union (CACU) has been the recipient of several awards this year. 

It was recently honored with the statewide Louise A. Herring Award for Philosophy in Action which recognizes credit unions that, in day-to-day operations, demonstrate the credit union philosophy of “people helping people” in an extraordinary way.  CACU won in acknowledgment of its financial outreach efforts to the citizens of Highland Park and its innovative, out-of-the-box community-focused and financial literacy initiatives.  

CACU was also honored with the Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Award for its support of Detroit’s Academy of Finance (AOF), a high school program through Detroit Public Schools that aims to help inner city kids through school while exposing them to the working world of finance.  Both awards are sponsored by the Michigan Credit Union League (MCUL) and the Credit Union National Association (CUNA).

“We are extremely humbled and honored to receive these coveted honors,” said Hank Hubbard, President of CACU.  “CACU is and will continue to be an organization of service.  An organization determined to give whole-heartedly to its members and the communities in which they live.  ” 

Congratulations to Communicating Arts Credit Union on both awards and for being named Michigan’s 2009 “Outstanding Credit Union of the Year.”

Lots of local groups are finding unique new ways to help those going through some difficult times.  From games to raffles to warm and fuzzy fundraisers, here are a couple of my personal favorites.

SALVATION ARMY "COIN CATCH"
The Salvation Army is thinking "outside the kettle" to raise funds this year.  They have an interactive online game called “Coin Catch” that you can play and share on Twitter and Facebook! For every coin you catch in your Red Kettle, an anonymous donor will make a donation.  You are also given the option to make a donation of your own. The game is the only one of its kind nationally, so Check it out at  www.salarmycoincatch.com.

BRIDAL GOWN RAFFLE FOR UNEMPLOYED BRIDES
Maria’s Bridal Couture owner Nadica Ristivojevich will raffle off five dresses to help unemployed brides defray one of the major costs of wedding planning.  The raffle will take place during Maria’s Bridal Last Call 2009 Sample Sale.  It will be held December 26-27, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., in a storefront around the corner from Maria’s Bridal Couture in Orchard Mall.

“One of the reasons I am in the business is to see the joy on a bride’s face and hear her story,” says Nadica. “I can’t even imagine how dejected a bride might feel if she loses her job and doesn’t know how she’ll afford her wedding. I’m honored to help. In a tough economy, I want to show local brides that they can have fashion and look gorgeous on their big day without breaking the bank.”

MUSIC OF THE SEASON HELPS THE HOMELESS        
Detroit’s top celebrities and musicians are joining together for charity this holiday season, lending their time and talent to “Christmas in Detroit,” a holiday CD set benefitting the homeless and the needy in the Metro-Detroit area. 

Christmas in Detroit is a unique 3-CD collection of 42 amazing songs by Detroit artists with recordings of both original material and classic holiday favorites.  Artists and personalities include Stewart Francke, The Hell Drivers, Jeff Daniels, Larry Lee & Back in the Day, Dave Edwards and rising stars Molly Hunt & Quentin Dennard.

Proceeds from the CD will support S.A.Y. Detroit, a nonprofit organization founded by author Mitch Albom – who also writes and performs on the CD - dedicated to rebuilding the inner city one life at a time by funding homeless programs in the area.

Christmas in Detroit is available to order online at http://www.ReverbNation.com/ChristmasInDetroit for $20.00 and for purchase at more than 100 Biggby, National Coney Island, and Tubby’s locations in Metro Detroit.

The Christmas in Detroit artists will also showcase their talent in a free concert at the Renaissance Center’s Wintergarden, on December 17 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

FREE YOGA FUND
Through the end of this year, the Yoga Shelter of West Bloomfield, Birmingham, Royal Oak and Grosse Pointe are selling raffle tickets at $5 apiece in an effort to fuel the Free Yoga Fund. The fund will provide a free series of classes to four winners. 

“It is part of our defining philosophy to help those who need it most,” says Yoga Shelter founder and co-owner Eric Paskel. “That’s why it was imperative for us to find a way to give free yoga to empower people to ride the wave of challenge we’re all facing.”  Check out the website for more information, www.yogashelter.com. 

GIVE THE "GIFT OF A BEAR"
The University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s and Women’s Hospital is launching a new Gift of a Bear Program, which helps comfort young Mott patients and raises money for families in need. 

Supporters can help the healing of a Mott child by purchasing a teddy bear outfitted in an “M GO BLUE for Mott” T-shirt for $25. Proceeds will also benefit the Family Hope Fund that provides help to families in need at a challenging time in their lives.

“I am thrilled that so many people have the opportunity to help a sick child with a little ‘bear love’," said Patricia Warner, Associate Director and Chief Administrative Officer, University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Women’s Hospital.

To purchase a bear or for more information about other ways you can make a gift to benefit the children who are patients at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, contact Carol McTaggart at 734-998-6069 or email cmctagga@umich.edu.

GIVE FOOD...AND GET A FREE GIFT!
All 23 Henderson Glass locations will be Gleaner's Food drop sites until December 16, 2009. Henderson has invited WWJ-TV viewers to bring in a bag of canned/ boxed goods and they will winterize your windshield with a FREE Aquapel treatment!

Help Gleaners give back to the community this holiday season. To find a location near you call 1- 800- ASK- GLASS or visit their website at www.hendersonglass.com.

There are many more opportunities to help others during the holiday season and beyond.  If you know of any of any great deals for good causes, send me an email at kgkelly@cbs.com and I'll add it to my list.

Karen Palka of Romeo sent me this press release so I thought I would share it.  It's a perfect example of an entire community "lighting the way" for others:

Two local football teams in Michigan created an amazing game "Rivals on the Field, Unity for a Cause!" Held on Friday, September 18th at 7:00 pm at Romeo Barnabo Field. This first ever event will have 100 varsity players who will be playing in memory or in honor of a loved one affected by cancer (97 others are participating also for Susan G. Komen & Relay for Life for a total of 197). Pink jerseys, pink t-shirts, a multitude of activities, respect for one another between teams, and a 48 page full color professionally produced program highlighting all players and honorees are just some of the amazing goodness that is taking place.

After the game, everyone wearing a pink t-shirt will get the opportunity to be in a group photo on the field in the shape of the awareness ribbon. Then each player will give their honoree/memorial namesake their pink jersey to keep.

They expect to raise $70,000 (net) to be given to Susan G. Komen for a Cure and American Cancer Society Romeo Area Relay for Life.  For more information, check out the website:
http://www.romeobulldogfootball.com/watchdog/index.asp

“I believe the two greatest moments in life are the day you are born…and the day you understand why,” said John Rotche, an Ann Arbor resident, a University of Michigan graduate, and a franchising entrepreneur.  Rotche experienced that moment of enlightenment himself after a trip to the hospital with his seriously ill son. 

While Rotche’s son was at the hospital suffering with respiratory problems, a therapist asked if he ever had his home’s air ducts cleaned.  Despite owning six duct cleaning franchises, Rotche had never cleaned his own air ducts.

After the hospital visit, Rotche started researching asthma and its causes.  He discovered that one of the biggest triggers in a home or work environment is the dust and microbial growths that reside in ducts and mechanical systems.  Although cleaning ducts won’t cure asthma, it does improve air quality…and that improves the quality of life for those with respiratory conditions.

“There is a lot of consumer confusion with what this industry does. I wasn’t aware of what it meant until the problem with my son,” said Rotche.

Since his son’s illness Rotche has been on a mission to educate the public and improve the lives of those with respiratory conditions.  One of the ways he does this is through a partnership with Habitat for Humanity, an organization best-known for coordinating volunteers to build homes in partnership with families in need.

Six months ago Josh Titler, Director of Community Involvement for DUCTZ, Inc., reached out to Habitat for Humanity to see if there was some way the company could help this group.  Because there are so many foreclosed homes available, Habitat no longer needs to start from scratch to build their homes.  They can save an existing home, repair it, and make it useable for others.  DUCTZ, Inc is brought in at the end of the restoration to clean the air ducts before the new homeowners take possession. 

The volunteer work with Habitat is frequently done by new DUCTZ franchise owners who do it as part of the training to learn the business at “DUCTZ University.”  They get on-the-job training as well as an introduction to the community service philosophy of the company.

“We try to light a pilot light inside them by having guest speakers from the Allergy Foundation in Michigan and the American Lung Association explain the problems and how what DUCTZ does impacts them,” said Rotche.

They encourage DUCTZ owners across the country to help those in need by getting involved in their own communities. 

“If you don’t have a job that day, there are people who suffer from poor indoor air quality so you should help them out.” 

According to Rotche, community service has really helped DUCTZ, Inc. understand and define its true business purpose and refine its approach to the local community. 

“Validation is such an important part of business.  If you talk to DUCTZ owners across the country, they are finding that validation in helping the community,” said Rotche.  “The more that we give, the more that our business begins to feel better.”

The company also sponsors scholarships for children who have asthma that allows them to attend special asthma camps through the Camps for Kids Foundation.  Asthma camps are just like regular camps, but they accept children with respiratory problems and bring in people familiar with these conditions to work with them at the camp.

How do you know you are making a difference in someone’s life?

“I see the looks on the faces of the people after we clean the homes, the looks on the faces of the children we send to camp, the looks on our franchisees who receive the Spirit award for someone who exemplifies the spirit of the industry by helping in the community.”   

And as Rotche and DUCTZ, Inc. have discovered, changing a life for the better changes yours as well.

I love the arts and cultural activities offered in the metro area…and I’m obviously not alone.

Recently, the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan came up with a unique idea to Light the Way for local arts and cultural organizations despite the dismal economy. 

The Foundation set up a special program called the Community Foundation Challenge – Arts and Culture.  As part of the challenge, the 75 participating arts and cultural organizations were asked to mobilize their supporters and encourage them to donate on-line on Tuesday, August 18, 2009 at 10 a.m.  For every donation received, the Foundation would give the group a 50% match.

In just 11 hours, more than $3.75 million was raised. Of the $3.75 million, the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan contributed $1.25 million, increasing its initial promise of $1 million in matching funds. 

Due to the overwhelming response, the initial $1 million match was exhausted in less than six hours. More than 10,000 potential donors went online promptly at 10 a.m., creating technical challenges with the site. As a result of the frustration many donors experienced while completing their gift, the Foundation added another $250,000 in matching funds, which went live at 6 p.m. on Tuesday and were quickly depleted by 9 p.m.

The Challenge was a wonderful success.  “This far exceeded our expectations,” said Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan President Mariam Noland.  “This was a groundbreaking experiment.  We applaud the many donors and apologize to those who experienced delays and other challenges and making gifts.”
 
“The response to the Challenge proves how much our community values arts and culture,” said Cultural Alliance of Southeastern Michigan Executive Director Maud Lyon. “Regardless of whether they like music, theater, museums, history, science or nature, these donors have stepped up to support these nonprofits in these challenging times.”
 
Congratulations to the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan, the arts and cultural organizations who benefitted from this and most of all, to the people who donated.

Although the Foundation’s $1.25 million match has been exhausted, the Web site for the program will remain open until August 31, 2009.  However, contributions will not be matched.  To make your donation, log on to www.cfsem.org.

If you’re a woman who finds herself suddenly single, out on your own after the loss of a partner, then you may need JUGS.

JUGS is the acronym for “Just Us Girls,” an organization created by and for women whose goal and mission is to support those who have experienced a spousal loss through divorce, death or other life trauma.

Financial analyst Beverly Tobocman is the author of “Now That He’s Gone…A Financial Therapists Guide to Life after Loss.”  She’s also the founder of the JUGS Club.  As Tobocman helped her clients through their financial issues, she realized they were in need of emotional support as well.