The Baldwin Center marks a milestone this year, celebrating 100 years of service in Pontiac. It’s an anniversary to commemorate Baldwin Center’s extensive history of feeding, clothing, educating and empowering tens of thousands of impoverished clients using dozens of support programs, a sparse, but dedicated staff and hundreds of volunteers.
It’s also an occasion to look to the center’s future as it tries to reshape the way people think about and confront poverty in our community.
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“Our goal at Baldwin moving forward is to diminish the poverty that impacts individuals and families in our community,” explains Elizabeth Longley, Baldwin Center’s executive director. “We want to provide more tools that help our clients attain and maintain a standard of living above the poverty line.”
Not only will Baldwin Center offer new resources to teach clients lasting ways to improve their lives, leaders will also share these strategies with other human service organizations in hopes of changing the way poverty is perceived across Oakland County.
With a grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, Baldwin created a program that directly addresses the root causes of poverty in its community. Using common comprehensive strategies, the center is developing a countywide network to help social services clients more effectively navigate the assistance available to them.
Baldwin Center will offer training in this approach to human services agencies throughout Oakland County.
Officials plan to introduce the center’s new vision at the Heart of Baldwin Center Gala on Friday, May 4, at 6:30p.m. at the Lafayette Grand, One Lafayette Street in Pontiac.
At this year’s annual fundraising event, the center hopes to raise $50 thousand to support its ongoing mission and future vision. Throughout the year, the goal is to raise an additional $50 thousand to signify the center’s 100th anniversary.
Also at the event, staff and volunteers will be honored and community members acknowledged for believing in Baldwin so whole-heartedly for so many years.
The General Motors Global Propulsion Systems Pontiac Engineering Center has earned the Heart of Baldwin Corporate Service Award for its years-long partnership with the agency. The GM group and dozens of its employees continue to create and implement children’s programs, staff the Engineering Club, donate school supplies, clothing, money, food and countless volunteer hours to benefit Baldwin Center and its clients.
Michelle Tocco has earned this year’s Heart of Baldwin Individual Service Award. Tocco, the center’s retiring food services manager, has served Baldwin for nearly 24 years.
During her tenure, she has planned and prepared more than 1.3 million meals and worked tirelessly with over 60 volunteer groups, providing a warm and welcoming refuge for Baldwin clients.
Keeping with its Kentucky Derby party theme, Baldwin’s official gala mascot, a gentle horse known as Top Hat Fiduciary, Fudge for short, will greet gala guests for photographs upon arrival. The gala also will include a strolling hors d’oeuvres dinner with live and silent auctions, plus a live band and dancing.
Tickets are available at $65 each. To learn more about the event or the Baldwin Center, call 248.332.6101 or visit www.baldwincenter.org.