Since 2003, artist Bill Hosner of the Petoskey/Boyne City area has set aside one day a month to travel to Children's Hospital of Detroit to spend the day drawing portraits of children who are patients at the hospital. He was inspired to start doing the portraits when he read a quote by Albert Schweitzer that read, "Do some thing, for someone, each day for which you do not get paid."
Bill estimates that he has probably done close to 200 portraits of children in the five years he's been going to the hospital and notes that its been rare for the children, even as sick as some of them are, to not want to have their portrait drawn.
"There isn't a day I spend down there that I don't leave a better person," Bill said. "I have many stories about the kids and their families, some of which are heartbreaking, all of which are inspiring. We could all learn a lesson from these children who in the face of often dire circumstances still find a way to put on a smile."
Bill was recognized for his commitment to the young patients as a volunteer at the Children's Hospital of Detroit's annual volunteer services recognition dinner.
"I'm just a small part of a big team down there; the doctors, nurses, the staff and we volunteers, all trying to do one thing -- help some sick kids back to health and happiness.," Bill said.
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Since 1931, all the money raised by members of the Old Mission Women's Club has gone to help others. The club recently gave gifts totaling $6,000 to 14 local educational and charitable organizations.
The club was founded by eight Old Mission residents. Today, membership includes 150 women. Its major fundraiser is its annual Christmas cookie sale. Members also earned money by working at the Cherry Festival, serving as hostesses for the Home Builder's Association Parade of Homes, and providing cookies for the Bay Shore Marathon. All the money they raise is used for charitable donations.
This year, gift recipients included Child and Family Services, The Laundry Project (Grand Traverse/Leelanau Human Services), Safe Harbor, Traverse Health Clinic and Coalition, Garland-Tompkins American Legion Post 399, the Cherryland Humane Society, Meals on Wheels (Northwest Michigan Human Services), Munson Breast Health Center, Old Mission Elementary School scholarship, Jubilee House of Grace Episcopal Church, Old Mission Peninsula Historical Society, Peter Dougherty Society, the Women's Resource Center and the Peninsula Community Library.
The club also made non-monetary donations that included Thanksgiving food baskets, hand-decorated Christmas stockings filled with gifts for clients of local women's agencies, satin pillowcases for cancer patients, and supplies for the Baby Pantry.
Items for this column may be sent to Northern Notes, Record-Eagle, P.O. Box 632, Traverse City, MI 49685-0632; e-mail sbeach@record-eagle.com.
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