Ziebart International Corp. presents donation to local homeless center

Representatives of Ziebart International Corp., headquartered in Troy, recently met in the lobby of Unity Church with Roy Watson, the executive director of South Oakland Citizens for the Homeless, to present a donation. The Welcome Inn facility in Royal Oak is southeast Oakland County's only daytime warming center for the homeless. Ziebart employees, Donna Hutton, Human Resources manager, and Stefanina Mays, Customer Service administrator, volunteered to coordinate a fundraiser for this cause through company 50/50 raffles and charity jean days. Ziebart employees donated more than $3,000 and numerous boxes of items to assist the South Oakland Citizens for the Homeless. "Every year Ziebart chooses a charity and in the past has donated to several organizations including the National Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, and Sarah Fisher Home," says Hutton. "This year we wanted to keep the charity local and close to home." "We wanted to keep our efforts in Michigan, since Michigan has had such a rough time this year," included Mays. The facility provides help for the homeless such as serving cooked meals, access to clothing and other items, a computer center to aid in local job search, and opportunities to meet with social workers. When presented with the check and donated items from Ziebart International Corp., Watson and his staff were very thankful, as it has been difficult trying to obtain state funding for the cause. "The Welcome Inn is a unique facility committed to helping others utilize the facility as a platform to get back into so-called normal life", stated Watson. "But we are unique in a way, because we are the only day center in Oakland County. We are having difficulty with grant approval because we do not have a bed count," said Watson. "This is a place for those in need to come for the day and to seek help and support in order to live a better quality of life." The Welcome Inn has been providing local services to the homeless in a number of ways since 2004. The center is open December through March, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit http://sochwelcomeinn.org to make a donation or volunteer; or contact Watson directly to find out how to help, (248) 850-3219. Published: Thu, Feb 10, 2011