Southfield employees help children through Giving Tree Program

provides holiday presents to low-income Southfield children under the age of 18.  This year, City employees assisted 80 children in need throughout Southfield.
The Giving Tree program ensures that every child on the Southfield Goodfellows assistance list receives a wrapped gift for the holidays. Children’s ages range from infancy through high school.  Children were “adopted” by individual employees or by departments that “adopted” a family of children. Many Southfield employees also participated in the Goodfellows’ annual newspaper sale on December 2nd before or after their regular work shift.
“Southfield employees regularly give back to the community they serve and protect in a number of ways throughout the year,” commented Mayor Kenson Siver. “The Southfield Goodfellows’ Giving Tree program and newspaper sale are great examples of this community spirit and involvement by our staff.”
Requests for assistance come from a range of ages, family units, and cultures. The Southfield Goodfellows receive recommendations from social workers, school personnel, religious institutions, police and fire departments, and concerned citizens to identify both families and individuals in need in Southfield and Lathrup Village.  All clients must be income-eligible as outlined in the federal poverty guideline established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“It is always great to see so many City employees donate their personal time and resources to help out those that are less fortunate in our community,” added Southfield Council President Myron Frasier. “Organizations such as the Southfield Goodfellows are doing meaningful work in the community, and it is great for us to be a part of that effort to help others at this special time of year.”
There are a variety of opportunities for the community to participate in the Southfield Goodfellows assistance efforts. For more information, contact the Southfield Goodfellows at (248) 788-5899 or visit their Web site at www.southfieldgoodfellows.org.