Newsletter - August 2017

VOLUME 1: ISSUE 3 | SUMMER 2017

W E D  I D  I T !

RESOURCE AND CRISIS CENTER TEAM
(LEFT-RIGHT) KIMBERLY RUSH, BRIANNA GREEN, TRACY SAFRANSKI, VIVIAN STEINHILPER,

AMELIA LEHTO, NIKITA BHATNAGER, ART INGRAHAM 

That’s right! The Crisis text and chat  around the clock. line is now accepting applications for
line will soon be 24 hours! Common Ground predicts that it may additional staffing as an RCH Specialist.
be able to help an additional 12,000
Through fundraising efforts, donations, people per year. Those interested in volunteering or
grants and gifts from the McGregor applying for the position  may visit
Fund, Beaumont Health, the Young The community can expect the crisis www.commongroundhelps.org.
Foundation, the Jewish Fund line to transition into a 24-hour
Teen Board, the Community Foundation service as soon as next month. If you or a loved one is  experiencing a
for Southeast Michigan, the crisis line crisis, please call 1-800-231-1127, at
will be available to text and chat Thanks to the new funds, the crisis  any time.  

CEO A NOTE  is most comfortable for the people
we serve.. However, OCIRT service
Heather Rae from Heather remains available from 10:00 a.m. to
10:00 p.m., and it is our goal to make
"One of the key elements this service 24 hours, as well.  
of our vision is expanding
the services we provide. We want to We’re up for the challenge, and are
offer services 24 hours a day, 7 days looking forward to hitting this
a week, because crises can occur at milestone! " 
any hour. We are very excited about
the expansion of our text and
chat service, and the ability to
communicate on whichever platform

1

STUDENT ACTIVIST the flyers were gone,” she said.
SPREADS SUICIDE AWARENESS 
Ana also conducted a survey with her
“I want to die” is a common phrase heard classmates, which determined that 46%
by Ana Pena, a junior at International of those surveyed had thoughts of
Academy Central in Bloomfield Hills. hurting themselves. “The results showed
that I needed to do this project—
While she hasn’t experienced suicide especially if people were admitting this
within her community in Bloomfield, she to themselves.” said Pena.
was recently touched by suicide in her
country of Brazil. INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY STUDENT She presented the project at her school
ANA PENA fair and received a large turnout of
Ana’s friend Geovani completed suicide. students. “I had 4 baskets of the 1-800
It was hard for her, but even harder for Ana was referred to Common Ground bracelets; I ran out before the fair
her friend Joana who was especially by one of her teachers, where she ended,” she said. 
close to Geovani. “She was devastated,” received information, brochures and
said Pena, “It really got to me because bracelets to hand out to her peers. Since then, Ana has been thanked by
she’s my friend, and I saw how much she several friends—even one who had been
was suffering.” Ana printed out more than a hundred dealing with suicidal thoughts for the
flyers with Common Ground’s 1-800 past two years. “I have friends who wear
It became clear that suicide needed to number, and distributed them around the 1-800 bracelet every day. I know it
be addressed. “Joana and I decided to her school.  “After the first day, all of   will save someone’s life.” said Pena.  
work on a project that raised awareness
of suicide within our communities in the
U.S. and Brazil.” she said.

On July 18, EASTERN MARKET FAIR  our community

Central City art-wall!

Integrated

Health hosted The fair

their annual offered

health fair at community

Eastern resources,

Market. free yoga and

 Zumba

The fair had a ART THERAPIST WITH CONTRIBUTED ARTWORK classes,
delicious fresh
TAYLOR BEARDSALL

successful

turnout of Common Ground’s outreach team sat at the produce, and

organizations, center of it all, interacting with both kids and pop-up food

families, adults who stopped by. In fact, each child trucks!

COMMON GROUND'S vendors  and that stopped by was encouraged decorate
43RD ANNUAL BIRMINGHAM ART FAIR
It’s that time of the year again! instructors! an art piece (photo'd), and contributed to We’ll  be back!
Mark your calendars as we prepare for
the Birmingham Art Fair on September MEET VICKIE KENNEDY
16 & 17! OUR NEW DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST

Don’t miss out on our Silent  Art Auction,  "Common Ground is an amazing organization
Creative Tent, and our VIP tent for that continues to do so much for the
donors! The fair will feature over 100 community. I've worked as both a volunteer
displays of beautiful artwork, jewelry, and and an employee of the agency, and I'm
concessions and more! happy to be apart of the team once again.

2 I look forward to meeting everyone."

DISHING OUT R   E C   O V E R  Y  THROUGH EVERY B I T E

If Common Ground nutritionist Eric helps somebody, maybe I manage to save
Stillwell had to pen a job description a person one day."
for the work he does at the (CRU) in
Pontiac, it would read: “Saving lives, An admitted foodie, Stillwell even
one sandwich at a time.” manages to align a few dishes with
current food trends, serving up, for
Stillwell, a chef who earned his example, maple-glazed, roasted Brussel
culinary degree from Schoolcraft sprouts with a homemade turkey dinner
College, has an expansive - yet instead of a side of  steamed vegetables.
realistic - view of the potential
therapeutic value of a simple MADE BY NUTRITION & WELLNESS SPECIALIST “It’s not uncommon for me to just cook
sandwich or, for that matter, any ERIK STILLWELL something special, a particular meal or
other good eat. dish, for somebody who is blue,” Stillwell
said, adding “I take lots of requests, as
However, what truly drives Stillwell is long as it fits within the budget.”
a well-known phenomenon that takes
some skill and craft to achieve: the people today,” said Stillwell, who never He never misses an opportunity to invite
“ahh, that’s delicious” moment that assumes his culinary creations will clients into his “open kitchen” to cook for
nothing other than a very good meal please every palate. themselves or cook alongside him,
can produce in another human being. either.“It’s a skill, it’s a way to bond...it’s a
“But, maybe I manage to impact therapeutic outlet, it’s fun and it reduces
“Maybe I’m just going to feed some  somebody one day, maybe my food  anxiety,” said Stillwell.

SANCTUARY & RUNAWAY HOMELESS YOUTH SHELTER

THE SANCTUARY THANKS YOU!

The team at the vegetables and herbs

Sanctuary wanted to which have already been

give a huge thank you used in meals at the

to those who have Sanctuary!

donated and supported

the Growth and The garden wouldn't have

Healing Garden. been possible without

the donations from the

Legacy of Hope Breakfast With the donations, we local community.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT   have been able to GROWTH AND HEALING GARDEN It has created a space of
create and fill our
Common Ground held its Annual
Legacy of Hope Breakfast on May courtyard with fresh  Youth assist with watering, empowerment and
2, and hosted a plethora of guests. vegetables, herbs, and maintenance, and nourishment right in our
   flowers.  harvesting of the  backyard!
Speakers Marnie Lewbel and Sara
Majoros provided the audience ART THERAPY NEEDS ART SUPPLIES
with an understanding of how
Common Ground truly helps, and Art Therapy is offered at The Sanctuary Runaway and Homeless Youth Shelter
we couldn’t be more thankful! through our youth program in Royal Oak, and  at the Resource and Crisis Center
through our Crisis Residential Unit for adults in Pontiac.
Their advocacy helped Common
Ground raise over $25,000 in The art therapy programs at Common Ground allow participants opportunities to
donations, and  over $70,000 engage in creative expression to cope with their current stressors, develop
in pledges! positive coping skills, and cultivate a sense of hope for the future. 

To donate art supplies to the RCC or the Sanctuary, please
contact our administration building by dialing 248-456-8150.

3

1410 S. TELEGRAPH RD NON PROFIT ORG.
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
CONTACT ROYAL OAK, MI

ADMINISTRATION SANCTUARY YOUTH ARTWORK
248-456-8150

24-HOUR RESOURCE & CRISIS HELPLINE
1-800-231-1127

WEBSITE
WWW.COMMONGROUNDHELPS.ORG

TEXT TO DONATE
TEXT "GIVE" TO 248-823-7123

DO YOU HAVE A NEWSWORTHY STORY?
EMAIL THE EDITOR AT [email protected]

BOARD OF TRUSTEES ADVISORY BOARD

HEATHER RAE
PRESIDENT AND CEO

TONY ROTHSCHILD BARBARA BELKIEWICZ GREGORY MOORE MAGGIE ALLESEE EUGENE HARTWIG
CEO EMERITUS DON CAMPBELL TAWANA NETTLES- RICHARD ASTREIN ERIC HAWKINS
ERIC DOBRUSIN ROBINSON SHERIFF MICHAEL HOWARD HERTZ
KAY WHITE JAMES KOHLENBERG, MD GARY ROBB BOUCHARD RITA MARGHERIO
BOARD CHAIR DARREN LUBBERS, PHD CHRIS RUEN JERRY CAVELLIER HON. FRED MESTER
LISA MASON DOUG SMITH GARY DEMBS JOHN ROBERTS
CATHY MCNAMARA SHARON MCMURRAY ALEXANDRA STAN JOE DONOVAN SHELLEY ROBERTS
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR KEVIN WILLIAMS KATHY WALGREN JOHN ERB HON. EDWARD SOSNICK

DOUGLAS WRIGHT MAXINE FRANKEL
CHAIR-ELECT

JUDY CHRISTIE
SECRETARY

LAURIE MARSHALL
TREASURER

NEW TEAM MEMBERS ANNIVERSARIES

BARBARA WOOD AVERY MCLEOD MEREDITH HAZERGIAN DAVID PERMALOFF BARBARA GRIMES
PARENT ADVOCATE DEBRA BURNS SARAH MOIR
SENIOR YOUTH SPECIALIST RCH SPECIALIST HEATHER WILLIS JENIFER REYNOLDS
KIM STEVENSON SCOTT ROBINSON
MIKKI SMITH BETH WYRYBKOWSKI ZACHARY DIECK PATRICE EDWARDS MARIAM HABHAB
YOUTH SPECIALIST RCH SPECIALIST CRISIS INTERVENTIONIST MALCOLM HOHMANN
DEBORAH CHEATHAM SUE ANN KAINZ
ROBERT KERCORIAN DORRINDA COOK TARENA INGRAM VIVIAN STEINHILPER ERIK STILLWELL
DIRECTOR OF CRU STAFF RN STAFF RN CRYSTAL SCHMIDT CARMALETIA WILLIAMS
MARIE MURRAY HIMAJA GUMMADI
LISA CLAY JAMES LEE SUSAN MALOT SUZANNE ARDELAN CHERYL LUCAS
STAFF RN LAURA VIDA -WILLIAMS DELORIES HALL
CRISTS INTERVENTIONIST CRISIS INTERVENTIONIST SUSAN KENNEDY JEFFREY ANDERSON
QUONTRE' LOWLLUN
GABRIELLE MCDANIEL ALISSA DUGAN CASANDRA RAMUS
CRISIS INTERVENTIONIST
SENIOR YOUTH SPECIALIST RCH SPECIALIST

ASHLEY RUSSELL ELIZABETH DANCEY DIONE WILLIAMS
RESIDENTIAL SPECIALIST ART THERAPIST CRISIS INTERVENTIONIST

EARL JENKINS NIKKIA JONES RACHEL TORRES-BAIS
HR GENERALIST STAFF RN RECOVERY COACH

AMELIA BROWN WHITNEY BAILEY VICKIE KENNEDY
YOUTH SPECIALIST RCH SPECIALIST DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST

4