Dearborn Heights Montessori Center

Saturday, October 22 is National Make A Difference Day—a day of doing good. Millions of volunteers will unite in a common mission to improve the lives of others, and we invite you to join us in DHMC’s 2011 Make A Difference Day literacy project.

We would like to extend our ongoing commitment to children, families, and literacy to include those who have far fewer opportunities than we do, and we hope you will take part. We will be donating new books to the Family Literacy Program, a local program that provides books and literacy services to needy children from birth to age 18. Last year, through its book ownership program and literacy outreach work, more than 1000 Detroit-area families were served. The Family Literacy Program is one of the activities of Capacity Developers, a 501(C) 3 non-profit with the mission of providing support to low-income individuals and families who fall outside the government safety net.

What is our plan? We hope that DHMC parents and children will together select a new book to donate to this wonderful program. It could be a current favorite, one that has been special to the child in the past, or simply one that seems especially appealing at the time of selection. (The project has a particular need this year for board books.) Perhaps the children could help with the purchase by contributing a portion of their allowance to purchase the book, or older children could earn some of the cost by raking leaves or doing an extra chore. Our hope is that there would be a sense of personal involvement. We also encourage children who can write to inscribe the book with a gift message, or to include a short note.

Make A Difference Day falls at the end of the DHMC Parents Association book fair week. This will be a very convenient venue for book purchases, but new books from any source are equally welcome.

We will provide a book collection box in the office area, and also donation forms that may be used for tax deduction purposes. The project will end on Friday, October 28.

The Family Literacy Program invites registered families to join us for our Family Evening Series.  Children of all ages are welcome to join us for crafts, music, reading, and entertainment each month as we reveal our literacy themed evenings.  Our Family Evenings provide hands-on resources and education for caregivers to inspire passion in young readers.  Our Family Evenings help children and their caregivers connect literacy to music, movement and the world around them.  

CDI's Suited for Work clothing support programs are overwhelmed with referrals from wonderful community organizations seeking clothing support and workshops for their clients.  Unfortunately, state funding limits the individuals we can serve, requiring that individuals are recipients of some form of public assistance.  

Through corporate pledges we are able to open our doors and assist populations that would generally be unable to receive services.  A tax deductable gift will allow individuals in need to receive a complete professional outfit for an interview or to begin work.  We also can provide hygiene materials, an on-site barber and a wonderfully respectful and professional suiting experience. 

Any donation amount is welcomed.  Your company's gift of $500 would support 10 individuals in getting back on their feet.  Please consider donating today.

CDI has utilized our experience helping nearly 2,000 men and women prepare for work to design a series of workshops to educate and demonstrate a positive presentation of one's self in the employment sector.   "In developing these workshops we reflected on the comments made by so many of our clients, especially those who have never been on an a job interview or owned a suit. . . we used the conversations and advice that took place during the individualized clothing consultations to inform the workshops we created." - Irene Wilson, Community Resource Manager, Pittsburgh, PA.

Each week we provide workshops at our store as well as off-site.  Workshops are designed to be interactive and enjoyable while providing critical information for the job interview.