Like to Eat? Like to Shop? You Can Do Both and Help Others This Week

As the holiday season approaches, many of us look for ways to spread the cheer of the season to strangers in need. This week, two of Rochester's own nonprofit groups make it easy to help others.

Charlotte's Wings

Whether you're ready to start your holiday shopping or just need a new pair of jeans yourself, today through Wednesday is the perfect time to head into at the Village of Rochester Hills.

Rochester-based has teamed with Detroit-area Gap stores to bring books to sick children and save you money.

It's this simple: Bring a new children's book to donate when you visit Gap and receive 25 percent off your entire full-price purchase.

Forgot to bring a book? A $5 donation to Charlotte's Wings will also get you the discount.

The idea for the promotion came from Karen McConnell, a Gap store general manager who had heard of Charlotte's Wings from a committee member.

“We are so grateful for the support of Gap Detroit stores to help us raise funds and books this holiday season. We hope that Gap shoppers will embrace the opportunity to touch the life of a child spending this holiday season in the care of Michigan’s hospitals and hospices," said Jennifer Buck, chair of Charlotte's Wings.

Charlotte’s Wings is a nonprofit organization founded in March 2008 in Rochester in memory of a local infant, Charlotte, who died of a rare degenerative brain disease when she was 5 months old.

In lieu of baptism gifts, her parents made a large donation of books to the pediatric unit at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. Charlotte’s Wings was founded to continue and expand this initiative, donating books to children in hospital and hospice care throughout Michigan. The organization said it has donated almost 12,000 books to Michigan hospitals and hospices.

Through this endeavor, Charlotte's Wings aims to provide hope and smiles during traumatic times. 

Pass the Pasta with the Kiwanis

If all that shopping made you hungry, the Kiwanis Club is serving a pasta dinner Wednesday night to raise funds for the and Kiwanis scholarships.

The meal will be served from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the  Banquet Facility at 900 W. Avon. The menu includes a salad bar, three types of pasta, garlic bread, beverages and an ice cream bar.

Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 dollars at the door, $9 for kids under 12.

"This is our third year of Passing the Pasta," said Eugenia Bajorek, Kiwanis member and creator of the event. "Last year, we had 155 people come eat, and we hope to get more people this year. We'd like a good-sized crowd to raise money for our two targeted charities."

Kiwanis International is a global organization of member-volunteers who help shelter the homeless, feed the hungry, mentor the disadvantaged and care for the sick.

They develop youths as leaders, build playgrounds, raise funds for pediatric research and much more. They believe that helping a child helps the world.

Other good work in Rochester

Other Rochester businesses have been up to good and generous stuff, too:

• The staff at recently spent a Saturday providing and serving a turkey lunch with all of the fixings to recipients at Cass Corridor Social Services in Detroit. 
• The Urban Dog in Rochester donated 10 percent of its sales on Oct. 29 to Fetch Rescue and K9 Stray Rescue, both no-kill shelters. Photographer Patrick Daly was also on site for Halloween pictures of pets and their families. The $5 photograph charge was also donated to the rescues.