February 2012
The Trenton Trib
Page 15
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Soup kitchen visit shows we take too much for granted The holidays were Everyone there had the great for me. Like all kids nicest manners and I got presents and got to seemed to be really happy. spend time Seeing everywith my family. one smile and The But this year I enjoy their time Middle did something and being that most kids thankful really Man won’t be seen impacted me. doing on The way it Christmas Eve impacted me — this year I was how it went to a soup showed that kitchen called even when “Blessed Hope” times are tough to serve food to and it doesn’t the homeless. seem like anyIt was a fantasthing is worktic time and ing, you fight experience for through it and me and my find happiness. family memThat’s the bers. main thing I On Christlearned while I mas Eve my was there. It dad, my brother made me feel Griffin and I arrived at glad and rethe church at 4 minded me not Sawyer p.m. to help set to take things up for dinner. for granted. It Around 5 p.m., everyone did because you never began arriving to enjoy a know what tomorrow meal. I was a little nervbrings so enjoy whatever ous not knowing what to it is while it lasts and you expect. Everyone said have the chance, too. grace then one by one, After dinner, I received came up to get their a lot of smiles and heard a plates. bunch of thank yous. See-
ing everyone smile and enjoy their time really made me happy. Everyone was invited to stay if they wanted to and have a great Christmas Eve. They could sleep, watch TV, play board games, anything they want to do. I cleaned up the tables and had conversations with some of the men and women there. The talks really made me feel good, like I’ve changed them or at least helped them in a valuable way. It really was a great feeling. Later that week, I was thinking about my awesome experience. I wondered how much I actually helped all of the people there. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I did. Serving food for three hours and helping out really made a difference for many. What I did was serve food, cleaned up, talked to one another, made a couple people laugh and it was so easy and pretty fun. But that was such a simple activity and look what it did to some people I didn’t even know. It
made me realize, if something as easy as that helped so much, then why can’t more people help and volunteer? You really don’t know the overwhelming feelings you will get until you try it and help someone. I don’t mean helping your friends and family. I mean the ones who are in need. Using your time, even as little as an hour a day, could help someone greatly. All the things we take for granted like the ability to clean or cook, others may not be able to do and would appreciate our help. It’s no lie that there are many people needing help out there. But that is one thing we can change. Take advantage of the opportunity of caring and give a helping hand. Learn the joy that comes from seeing smiles from complete strangers. On Christmas Eve I really thought I was helping the people who visited Blessed Hope, but actually, they are the ones that helped me! It’s always great to see a smile.
3/50 Profile
Video Marketing Productions Owner: Richard Schmidt
Retired Trenton teacher Richard Schmidt started his business in 1990.
Location and contact info: 3240 West Jefferson Ave. (734) 676-8444 richardschmidt@comcast.net Products and services offered: The business offers a variety of services, including transferring all sorts of film and video to DVD (including reel-to-reel). Also records audio to CD. Can record recitals, sports, ice shows, choral groups and school events, among others. He currently works with WSU’s speaker bureau to stream live coverage of various programs. Specialties:
Event puts wetland preservation in spotlight World Wetlands Day will be celebrated Thursday, Feb. 2, at Gibraltar Carlson High School with a Wetlands Expo from 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. The event will feature displays from more than 20 organizations dedicated to wetland preservation and a program that begins at 12:30 p.m. featuring U.S. National Ramsar Committee Chairperson Suzanne Pittenger-Slear, Mr. Brian Rice, director of DTE Energy’s Monroe Power Plant, and special guest, “Humbug Marsha,” who will educate and entertain all on the value and bene-
fits of wetlands. This event is open to the public from 12:30-2:30 p.m. World Wetlands Day is celebrated internationally each year to raise public awareness of wetland values and benefits, and to promote the conservation and wise use of wetlands. It is celebrated each year on the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) in Ramsar, Iran, on Feb. 2, 1971. The theme of this year’s World Wetlands Day is wetlands and tour-
ism. This celebration is expected to attract nearly 2,000 high school students. In 2010, Humbug Marsh was designated Michigan’s first Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. Humbug Marsh, located on the lower end of the Detroit River in the cities of Gibraltar and Trenton, is considered an internationally important wetland because of its ecological importance in the Detroit River corridor and the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem. Humbug Marsh is also
a part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, and represents the last mile of natural shoreline on the U.S. mainland of the Detroit River. Humbug Marsh serves as a vital habitat for 51 species of fish, 90 species of plants, 154 species of birds, seven species of reptiles and amphibians, and 37 species of dragonflies and damselflies.
Find the Trib online at www.trentontrib.com
Schmidt enjoys taking special memories — photos and videos — and creating a special video with music that tells the story. Many people hire him for anniversaries, birthdays and to commemorate a special trip or event. He also can provide special packaging of these videos with colorful cases and DVD imprints. He has remote processing capabilities and customers can proof their projects online if need be. He recently purchased some state-ofthe-art equipment that he used to record the Free Press Marathon from the perspective of the lead car. That same technology can be used for extreme sports videos (helmet cams). “The 3/50 Project” encourages people to choose three hometown businesses they would hate to see disappear and commit to spending $50 at them each month. The Trenton Trib has signed on as a supporter of The 3/50 Project and, as part of that effort, will offer these monthly 3/50 Profiles to help make residents aware of some of the options available among the retail and service businesses located in Trenton. Businesses interested in joining The 3/50 Project can find out more at www.the350project.net.
Correction
Enter & Win!
Last month’s article on the efforts by the Downriver area chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to restore the Battle of Monguagon historical marker at Elizabeth Park had a typo in the address where people can send donations to support the effort. The correct address is Monguagon Chapter NSDAR, P.O. Box 834, Allen Park, MI 48101.
Have a photo taken at a Trenton event you’d like to share? You are welcome to send them to the Trenton Trib and we’ll consider them for publication. Please email them to info@ trentontrib.com and include details about where the photo was taken and who is in it.
This Month’s Featured Restaurant: Savannah’s
Monthly Drawing for $30 Gift Certificate
Congratulations to: Winner for February
Joyce Gregg
3300 West Jefferson Ave., Trenton, MI 48183
734-676-3000 www.namans.com
EPA Accredited Training Provider
LEAD PAINT SAFETY CLASSES RRP CERTIFICATION
Dennis P. Priem RRP Certified Trainer
734-552-3316
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