“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” ― Winston S. Churchill

Like many, I have very fond memories of the holidays with my family and friends, exchanging gifts and enjoying time spent together. But some of my most cherished memories come from helping those in need during the holidays. Every year the City collects donations during our Tree Lighting Ceremony. This year we supported the VA Hospital in Detroit on their mission to care for homeless veterans.

The support from the community was outstanding, and on December 21^st staff took a truck of donations to Detroit to help make the season more comfortable for our brave veterans.

We met with William Browning, the Director of Volunteer Services, and his team at the VA Hospital. They were grateful for the donations and were thankful for support during the holiday season.

Thanks must be giving to the Auburn Hills Chamber of Commerce for their help collecting donations, and to our residents and neighbors who contributed.

The Auburn Hills Fire Department has also been collecting donations for their Helping Hands organization. Through their work this year, they are able to provide gifts, food baskets and other assistance to 28 families in our community.

As we all prepare to enjoy the holidays I hope you will consider spreading joy to those who may need extra these next few weeks.

If you are interested in supporting one of these charities please visit their websites.

VA Hospital, or Auburn Hills Firefighters Helping Hands.

From all of us at City Hall, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Sam Harris, Management Assistant