ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. – “This aisle is where we keep all our school supplies and you can see we've got empty shelving,” said Sharon McCaughrin, of Big Family of Michigan in St. Clair Shores.
“You need school supplies?” asked Local 4’s Evrod Cassimy.
“We need school supplies," McCaughrin said.
School supplies are just some of the items Big Family of Michigan provides to children across the state. The nonprofit serves the needs of foster children, abused children, institutionalized children and grandchildren being raised at age 21 by grandparents.
"Incredible," she said.
McCaughrin works at the organization and uses just one word to describe how it feels to impact children's lives. She volunteers her time to the organization to make sure every child is cared for.
"It's just a feel-good thing,” said McCaughrin. “I mean I'm not -- it just makes me feel good. It's not an intrinsic reward. I enjoy it. I have fun every day."
The shelves are packed full of items Big Family of Michigan gives away. From birthday bags, to college necessities and even Christmas, no child is forgotten. It's important work that must be done to show these children someone cares about them.
"Just to know that these children are getting something special and they might not get anything otherwise."
McCaughrin and the other volunteers work hard year round for the children, wrapping gifts selected according to their wish lists. It's a labor of love because they'll never meet the child behind the name on each present.
"We do not get to see the children, which is the only sad part -- because it'd be kind of fun to watch them, but we don't," she said.
The thousands of kids they serve are based all over Michigan. From right here in Metro Detroit all the way up to the U.P. Thanks to generous donations from the community and special partnerships, the organization is able to keep the program going year after year.