Making a Difference

NHS aids Motor City Mitten Mission

Last December, De La Salle Collegiate’s National Honor Society partnered with the Motor City Mitten Mission to help the homeless in the Detroit area. Gail Marlow, founder and executive director of the mitten mission, showed the students how to turn plastic bags into plastic yarn, which is then crocheted into sleeping bag-sized mats distributed to the homeless. Volunteers meet regularly at various sites to do the crocheting, as well as create small pillows. Marlow explained that the plastic bags can be rinsed, unlike cloth, and are light weight and portable enough for those living on the streets. To learn more about the Motor City Mitten Mission, visit its website at motorcitymittenmission.org.

Top photos: Students prepare plastic bags that will become mats for the homeless.

At right: Gail Marlow (center, baseball cap), and Traci Smith, moderator of the National Honor Society, along with NHS members.

De La Salle students adopt 37 families

Barbara Cloyd, a mother of four, has stage 2 breast cancer, and had her first chemotherapy treatment in December at Troy Beaumont. She is facing five months of chemo, surgery, and radiation. The Cloyds are one of 37 families in the Warren area adopted by De La Salle Collegiate students for the annual Christmas service project, providing grocer ies and gifts to needy families. Jo Marie Ragona, De La Salle’s Christian Service Director, connected with the non-profit Good Shepherd Coalition of Macomb County to identify families needing help with groceries and gifts for the Christmas holiday. Each advisory, led by the juniors, collected financial Santa and students welcome Barbara Cloyd to De La Salle. donations from students. From there, teams worked together to do grocery and gift shopping, based She didn’t expect to need help again, but cancer has a way on lists provided by parents of the intended families. The of changing plans in a big hurry. Student Council provided turkeys for each family. Students “I am so thankful for this donation,” she said. “It means a wrapped gifts, and delivered them, although some families, lot to me and my family.” like the Cloyds, chose to pick up items at De La Salle. For junior Lorance Morrison, the activity has been a Census data shows that more than 26 percent of the stu positive experience. dents in the district live in poverty, nearly 10 percent higher than the poverty level for children in Macomb County. “I’ve never done anything like this,” Morrison said. “Everyone in the class donated, and I had a lot of fun “You wouldn’t think that in Macomb County that there’s shopping for a family in need. It’s great to help someone that kind of need,” Ragona said. “Some of these people live who really needs the help.” in motels. A lot of them are single parent families. One is a multi-generational family.” Junior Avery Petri, who shopped for his advisory’s gifts with his own family, is already planning his senior year The Cloyds’ situation is different than most, however. International Baccalaureate project with 95.5 FM’s Mojo Barbara works as an accountant, and is trying to work as in the Morning, a popular radio show. much as possible, but she tires easily. Her husband, Ron, has seasonal work. Her oldest child, Michael, works at a warehouse, and is hoping to become an electrician. Her other three children attend elementary, middle, and high “This experience was awesome,” Petri said. “The gifts bring joy to people and need, and their smiles and laughter is contagious.” schools in the Warren Consolidated System. A faculty and staff group also adopted a family. Barbara Cloyd reached out for help about five years ago, “It’s what we do for others is what God has done for us,” when her own mother was going through breast cancer, Ragona said. “We have been given a lot, and it’s good to and Barbara was struggling to work and raise her family. share with others who don’t have it.”

Student collects athletic gear for PAL

When De La Salle Collegiate junior Will Smythe and his younger brother cleaned out their baseball gear this past fall, they had a pile of pants, bats, cleats, practice gear, and helmets. Smythe realized that they could outfit a whole team, and decided to research a charity that could make the best use of the equipment. He settled on the Sheriff Police Athletic League (PAL) in Pontiac, near his fam ily’s home in Rochester Hills, and contacted its operations coordinator, Justin Daniels. Smythe, who chose PAL because he enjoys sports, said Daniels was thrilled about the idea. “Will brought two truckloads of equipment,” he said. “We’ve never had a high school student offer to do an equipment drive.” Daniels added that the equipment excited the entire staff as well as the young people playing on teams. “If kids could have anything, they would ask for sports ap parel.” Smythe said. “It makes a kid feel good to be dressed in the right clothes and shoes when playing a sport. Look good, feel good, play good.” Working with the school’s Campus Ministry office, Smythe set up collection boxes in the main hallway. The gently used equipment for boys and girls ages 4-17 will assist PAL with its free youth sports programming. Pontiac’s PAL has served over 1,000 youth since its 2015 founding. Law enforcement officers and community part ners also offer workouts and educational trips, as well as mentoring and enrichment programs. “Basketball shoes that are mainly used inside are often perfectly good for use by someone else once outgrown,” Smythe said. “The same with so much of the sports gear that we all have. Bringing smiles to kids’ faces, and a place of belonging that is a positive force in their lives, means everything.” Smythe is no stranger to community service. He spent time last summer with a group of friends that called themselves Summer Impact. They regularly volunteered at Lighthouse

Will Smythe ‘21

of Oakland County in Pontiac, a nonprofit that provides shelter to the homeless, a food pantry, housing assistance, and more. A three-year member of the Pilots basketball team - he’s a shooting guard on the varsity - Smythe is also a mem ber of the Student Council, National Honor Society, the Stockmarket Club, and serves as a student ambassador with the Admissions office. He carries a 4.47 grade-point average - second in his class - with Advanced Placement classes Calculus, Biology, and Human Geography. “Will Smythe epitomizes the student athlete,” Pilots coach Greg Esler said. “He would like to play college basketball in the Ivy League, and has already been heavily recruited.” Smythe is interested in the University of Pennsylvania, and Esler says Eastern Michigan University has already offered a full ride. New and gently-used athletic clothing and equipment can be dropped off at any time at the Sheriff PAL Pontiac SubStation at 110 East Pike Street in Pontiac. Contact Daniels at 248-761-0622 or email sheriffpal@gmail.com. For more information, visit www.sheriffpal.com.