2025 Holiday Giving

It is feeling a lot like Fall and with the change in weather, our thoughts turn toward the holidays and helping members of our community in need.

This is the Bates family’s 29th year of adopting families with our family and friends and our 21st year adopting families through the Macomb Infant Preschool Program (MIPP). We have decided to "completely adopt" the following family of six this year:

Ivy's Family

We are adopting Ivy, (13 months), her two sisters Elodie (Age 3) and Aliyah (age 8), Mom (27), and Dad (28) and Mom's brother Kristian (Age 20). 

At age 10 weeks, Ivy was diagnosed with failure to thrive and hypotonia (low muscle tone). However, she is now exhibiting "global delays" meaning that she is not meeting average child milestones.  She does not talk, is just starting to sit & crawl, is not standing or walking, and is delayed in many emerging ways.  Genetic testing came back negative for concerns, but cognitive delays seem likely. Her family is desperately seeking answers to explain Ivy's significant delays. 

Mom & Dad are engaged and have been together 5 years. Both were raised by alcoholics or addicts in single parent homes. Dad's Mother was murdered when he was 7 years old over drugs. 

Mom stated that her Mother was an alcoholic. As a result, she has taken in and has been raising her brother, Kristian, for the past four years when he came to live with them.

Recently, Mom lost her job as a bartender after she reported her manager for sexual harassment. She had surgery for endometriosis in early October and may require a hysterectomy in the future. Mom and Dad are renting a home for their family. Dad is bipolar and currently unemployed. 

Additional Needs

We have also had several other families reach out through MIPP with larger items needs like car seats, high chairs, car seats, cribs, crib mattresses, pack and plays, learning toys, beddings, etc.  We will provide these items to additional families as we are able based on our funding this year.**

Can You Help?

If you are interested in helping, we hope that you will consider writing out your check or sending a PayPal (click link below) immediately so you don’t forget.  We plan to do the majority of the shopping for our family's needs on or about November 7th.  We are about to purchase and deliver coats for the family since the weather is changing and it is likely to move significantly colder soon. 

Whether you can donate $5 or $1,000 or more, we will put it to the best use we can and the value that our combined funds and efforts can have to others who are struggling is tremendous. We pool all of the funds and meet as many of the needs of local families as possible.

Kohl's on 26 Mile Road in Shelby Township, generously gives us significant discounts on the merchandise that we purchase in their store. As a result, everything bought at Kohl's costs pennies on the dollar.  We have requested their help again this year!

We also have vendors that give us discounts or support and contribute yearly because they care. If we have more money than we need for this deserving family, we will provide food and clothing gift cards, and large items like car seats to additional families, as there are many others in need and still more coming forward to ask for assistance.  Last year we were also able to help additional families with more than 82 food gift cards and provide an additional nine car seats to other families.

PayPal Donations

Please know that we do NOT pay processing fees on PayPal contributions so this is a super fast and convenient way to make a contribution.

Check Donations

If you want to send a check, please make checks payable to the "Four County Community Foundation - Jamie's Smiles" and send to 141 South Main Street, Ste. A, Romeo MI 48065. 

If you prefer you can also contribute items, but these will not be tax deductible.