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Thursday, November 22

Opportunities Available for Giving During Holiday Season

by Dave Lambert on Thu 22 Nov 2007 04:00 AM EST

From the Troy Community Affairs Department...

As the holiday season approaches, be sure to spread joy to others through various donation opportunities taking place right in the City of Troy. Whether you have some food, cloths or toys, local organizations are pleased to share your donations with those in need. Opportunities include:

Troy Police/Veterans Food Drive - The Troy Police Department will conduct their annual food drive with the assistance of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). From December 17-20, drop off items at the Police Desk (500 W. Big Beaver, open 24 hours) or the Troy VFW (2375 E. Maple). The Troy PD and VFW also oversee deliveries to the families. Holiday gifts for specific families in need are also collected, as well as checks made payable to “Troy VFW Post.” For more information on how you can help, call Officer Andy Breidenich at 248.524.3464 or the Troy VFW at 248.689.7289.

“Adopt a Family” – The Troy People Concerned (TPC) assists Troy families who find themselves in crisis situations. The organization receives more requests for assistance during the holidays than any other time of the year. Citizens can help TPC by donated a holiday food basket, adopting a family so that they have gifts, or giving local grocery store gift certificates. For more information, call 248.589.9199 or visit www.tpchelps.org.

Toys for Tots - The Troy Museum will be accepting toys from Nov. 23 – Dec. 14 for the U.S. Marines’ Toys for Tots program. New, unwrapped toys can be dropped off Tuesday-Saturday from 9 am – 5:30 pm and Sunday from 1 – 5 pm. Donated toys are then distributed to needy children for Christmas. The Museum is located at 60 W. Wattles Road at the northwest corner of Wattles and Livernois.

Here's another one...

Cub Scout Pack 1706 from Martell Elementary School will be collecting new toys to help put a smile on the faces of the less fortunate children in our City this Christmas for their 2nd annual Troy Toy Drive. Pack 1706 (1st - 5th graders) are partnering with the Troy Police Department and Troy People Concerned to help benefit those in need in our own neighborhoods and local community.

So pick up a toy or two on your holiday errands and drop them off on Friday, December 7, 2007 at the Troy Community Center, Room 304-305 from 7 - 8:30 pm. Cub Scouts will be on hand to accept and wrap the gifts and they will be singing holiday carols with the Men’s Caroling Group from St. Anastasia Church. Cookies and Refreshments will be provided by Pack 1706.

“Last year for their first Toy Drive, our Cub Scouts teamed up with some very special Soldiers that the boys had corresponded with while they served their tour of duty in Iraq,” Shannon Louwaert, the Troy Drive Coordinator, said. “This Cub Scout Pack has a special respect for members of our Armed Forces and loved working side-by-side on a project that benefited boys and girls less fortunate than themselves. They helped 27 local families and this year the Scouts are geared up to collect even more toys this year.”

Interested volunteers can get more information by calling Shannon at the Troy Community Center at 248.524.3484. The Troy Community Center is located at 3179 Livernois.

There will also be a collection box located at Martell Elementary School from November 19 through December 6.

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Happy Thanksgiving 2007

by Dave Lambert on Thu 22 Nov 2007 12:01 AM EST

From the White House...

Americans are a grateful people, ever mindful of the many ways we have been blessed. On Thanksgiving Day, we lift our hearts in gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy, the people we love, and the gifts of our prosperous land.

Our country was founded by men and women who realized their dependence on God and were humbled by His providence and grace. The early explorers and settlers who arrived in this land gave thanks for God's protection and for the extraordinary natural abundance they found. Since the first National Day of Thanksgiving was proclaimed by President George Washington, Americans have come together to offer thanks for our many blessings. We recall the great privilege it is to live in a land where freedom is the right of every person and where all can pursue their dreams. We express our deep appreciation for the sacrifices of the honorable men and women in uniform who defend liberty. As they work to advance the cause of freedom, our Nation keeps these brave individuals and their families in our thoughts, and we pray for their safe return.

While Thanksgiving is a time to gather in a spirit of gratitude with family, friends, and neighbors, it is also an opportunity to serve others and to share our blessings with those in need. By answering the universal call to love a neighbor as we want to be loved ourselves, we make our Nation a more hopeful and caring place.

This Thanksgiving, may we reflect upon the past year with gratefulness and look toward the future with hope. Let us give thanks for all we have been given and ask God to continue to bless our families and our Nation.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 22, 2007, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all Americans to gather together in their homes and places of worship with family, friends, and loved ones to reinforce the ties that bind us and give thanks for the freedoms and many blessings we enjoy.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.

GEORGE W. BUSH