Pontiac Volunteers Assemble 3,000 Care Packages
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Dec. 18, 2016)
Pontiac, MI – “This helps somebody out maybe a day or two, but that’s a day or two they don’t have to worry.”
That’s the reason that over 100 volunteers came together Sunday at the Bowen Center in Pontiac to assemble care packages for area homeless people.  Kaino Phillips, founder of the Clarence Ascend Foundation, has organized the effort for four years.  The first year there were 1,800. The second, 2,000. The third 2,500.  And this year 3,000 packages were assembled.
The bags contain sandwiches, snacks, drinks and other supplies.  Over 500 people also got blankets.  But the most special part of all, Phillips said, came from the kids.  While the adults bagged up the goodies, the kids made notes to the recipients, complete with drawings and well-wishes.
“They’re love notes, something to let people know they are blessed,” Phillips said.  “That is the best part to me. When they open their packet the first thing they get is a note.”
Several groups contributed, including Kicks for Kids, Pontiac Discount Pharmacy, NPG Foundation, Home Depot, Wallgreens, Care First Foundation and others.
Phillips also thanked the people who came out and formed an assembly line around the gym to put the bags together. “If it wasn’t for you these 3,000 meals wouldn’t be made,” he said.
The bags  were delivered by volunteers to shelters, service agencies and other locations where homeless people gather.