#meetupeatup

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#jenny #portrait #portraitphotography #travelphotography #travelportrait #theislandpub #seagla #meetupeatup (at The Island Pub)

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We had so much fun this fall teaching kids about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity with the Detroit Lions and Playworks Michigan!

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Thousands of families were helped this summer through Meet Up and Eat Up, and it wouldn’t have been possible without volunteers — 232 of them, to be exact! These men and women ran activities, packed food, served meals and kept kids safe and happy at our Community Block Parties.

Thank you, volunteers!

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Way to Go, Lear!

As the summer comes to a close, we’re thinking about all the amazing people who helped make Meet Up and Eat Up a success—from the families who came to block parties to the community partners who shared resources and the corporate partners who gave their resources and their time to support summer meal sites and community block parties.

Lear Corporation was one of those partners, bringing 28 volunteers to the June 23 block party. They were fantastic volunteers that went above and beyond the call of duty—they even orchestrated a game of kickball with the kids! The value of that volunteer impact alone was over $2,200.

And in September, 15 employees from Lear will be helping with a Meet Up and Eat Up project in Eastern Market with the Detroit Lions, educating children about nutrition, helping them shop for fresh and locally grown fruits and veggies, and playing with the kids.

And Lear’s commitment to volunteerism goes far beyond helping to make sure kids grow up healthy and strong.

Lear was also a partner in the City of Detroit’s Grow Detroit’s Young Talent initiative this summer. They ensured that their interns had a well-rounded and meaningful experience by incorporating volunteer opportunities into their work. A total of 18 Lear volunteers—employees and interns—got their hands dirty at an urban garden on Aug. 15 for a total of 54 combined hours of service poured back into the community.

For Lear, it’s all part of their corporate culture, which emphasizes giving back to causes that employees care about.

"The idea of giving back to the communities where we live and work started with our founders, and it’s always been a part of who we are," says Ray Scott, vice president and president of seating at Lear. "Our employees have the ability to give back financially, but just as importantly, if you want to do community service or you want to participate in a particular way, we absolutely support you and we’ll make sure we do everything we can to help you with those goals."

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Tyronne Ingram was a popular guy at our Stoepel Park Meet Up and Eat Up block party!

Tyronne lives in Warren, where he likes to volunteer at local events, like the Warren Summerfest. He’s a Team Leader at FCA’s Jefferson North Assembly Plant, where he heard about the Meet Up and Eat Up block party. He had never been to a United Way event before, but he wasted no time getting involved — playing with kids and running the bounce house area.

“I enjoy volunteering,” he said. “I thought this would be a good way to give back to the community.”

Thanks, Tyronne!

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Say “Hi!” to Meet Up and Eat Up volunteer Jeremy Carranza!

Jeremy is a resident of Sterling Heights, student at Oakland University, and a summer intern for the Operations, Diversity and Inclusion departments at Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan.

He said he wanted to volunteer at Meet Up and Eat Up’s summer block parties to “give back to the community.”

“It’s a fun event, and to be able to help was great,” he added.

Thanks for volunteering, Jeremy! You’re awesome!

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Shout out to CWA Union Local 4009!

This union takes giving back seriously — their whole crew came out to the Madison Heights Meet Up and Eat Up Summer Block Party to volunteer in June!

President Tina Culver said that she and the other members, who all work for AT&T, were just happy to carry on the tradition. You see, CWA Local 4009 has given to United Way for Southeastern Michigan for more than 30 years. That’s 3-0. Wow.

Tina has been involved the entire time as a donor and volunteer, and this is her union’s second year with Meet Up and Eat Up.

She said she loves United Way because it “helps the community, and the middle class,” which is something unions do, too.

“It doesn’t matter what race, what religion you are — they just help people,” she added.

Thanks for the support, Tina and crew. We sure do appreciate it!

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Meet the Sinclair family!

Steve and Crystal came out to the Madison Heights Meet Up and Eat Up Summer Block Party with their kids Ryan, 7, and Rylee, 5, to have fun and give back to their community.

Steve works at Lear Corporation and has been involved with United Way for Southeastern Michigan for years, but this was their first event as a family. Crystal and Steve said they wanted their kids to have a good time, and to show them the importance of volunteering.

“I used to go to a program like this growing up, and I remember it being so much fun,” Crystal said. “I wanted our kids to experience it.”

Thanks for coming out to Meet Up and Eat Up, Sinclair family!