Children's Center Celebrates 313 Day

0:00Since 1929, the Children's Center has helped children and families shape their own future serving over 4,000 children and their families each year. They provide specialized behavioral health, child welfare and community-based services that promote healing and hope. And the woman that leads them and does such a great job as a president and CEO of the Children's Center. Desiree Jennings is on the other end of our line right now. Desiree always a pleasure to have you on board. Thank you so much. Always a pleasure to be here. I appreciate it. The Children's Center is turning 313 pride into permanent support for children. Explain that to me. Yes, so 313 is March 13th and we are taking that day to create a moment to celebrate Detroit, but also an opportunity to invest in a future. So we're turning Detroit pride into something permanent for kids. We want a stronger Detroit than we have to invest in children today.

1:02And so Detroit pride is just not something we celebrate is something we invest in. And we can all help you with that. We can invest as well. And there are going to be ways to invest on that day especially where I believe you've got some funding. All funds raised on 313 day will actually be matched. Absolutely. And so the matching comes from the Michigan Central Station Children's Endowment Initiative. So this endowment was kicked off by Bill and Lisa Ford where 11 children's charities are an awardee of a permanent endowment. So they started the endowment seed with 500,000 each charity has to raise 500,000 and then they'll match it with 500,000. So we're in the process of raising that 500,000 so we can earn a match and every dollar raised is doubling the impact, which is helping to create sustainable annual funding for children and families forever.

2:06We've been around almost 100 years. And so this endowment has helped to ensure that we'll continue to be around far beyond another 100 years. And so we have some. I'm sorry. No, go, go, go. I thought you stopped. Yeah, I was just going to say I was just going to say God bless you and I can say God bless you at any time. Yes, I'm so excited because it's a new thing for the Children's Center. The endowment is new and then also us utilizing 313 day of moment to celebrate Detroit and our kids forever. That's a new thing too. So we're also going to have auction live auction and just kicked off yesterday and anyone who wins the auction, so proceeds will go towards the endowment. We're also auctioning off of privacy at Ford Field for an Ed Sheeran Concert and we're also auctioning off furniture from our age, which used to be restoration hardware and now we have a new name called our age.

3:08So these big ticket items are also going to help support Detroit kids forever. If we go to the Children's Center dot com, will we see this information? Will we note, by the way, the 313 day auction item that's sweet. That's 24 tickets at Ford Field for the August 29th Ed Sheeran concert, a $10,000 retail credit for the new Detroit restoration hardware store, which has already changed its name to our age. And will they see all the pictures and everything they need at the Children's Center dot com. Yes, everything is live, so they would just go to the Children's Center dot com flash endowment and they'll see everything related to 313 day right there. That is spectacular. Now I remember hearing about this Michigan Central Station Children's Endowment initiative. I think Kim and I were somewhere along the way involved with that. We thank the people who really are behind this and have been for the Children's Center since I've known them Bill and Lisa Ford, who are so generous in so many different ways we don't even know about.

4:16This is one of them I'm aware of and why I like to tell everyone about it whenever I can. They have been angels to the Children's Center and to so many other people in need, but but especially the Children's Center. It has a very special place in their heart, doesn't it? Yes, and we appreciate their support and they've been connected with us for at least 40 years that I know of. And they have been there with us through through the years, through changes, through evolution and supporting 11 children's charities in and around the city of Detroit is an amazing thing where permanent endowments are set up for nonprofit organizations, which quite a few of us haven't had one in the past or now we're at the point where we can expand our sustainability and it was their vision that created this opportunity for us. Lisa isn't old enough to have been involved 40 years, but Bill certainly.

5:17Bill, Bill certainly is, but but both seriously both Bill and Lisa have been involved. You say 40 years. That's incredible. Great news there and I salute them. I salute Melissa Bunker, who gave us a heads up on you being available. Desiree Jennings, president and CEO of the Children's Center. And if you don't think that the award you gave me the heart of hope award is important to me or not, I have it in my hand right now, which I know on the radio is hard to see. But if anyone is streaming us on our YouTube pages or live video streaming, they see this beautiful award maybe for the first time and I really hold this close to my heart because it means so much to me. And I thank you for that and I will help you for the next 40 years anyway that I can Desiree. I appreciate it and it was an honor to give you the award. It truly was. Don't forget my friends 313 pride and going online to the Children Center dot com. The Children Center dot com to get more information on how you can help.

6:26One of the auction items a suite with 24 tickets at Ford Field for the August 29th Ed Sheeran concert. That's incredible. $10,000 retail credit for the new R8 store we used to call it restoration hardware store. I mean this is big stuff. Don't miss out go to the Children Center dot com. God bless you keep up the good work Desiree. Thank you. Have a great day. Thank you. You do the same as we continue in focus on WJR.