Guest Presenter - Lori Sisk

Lori Sisk is a Principal Consultant in the Industry Consulting Practice where she has over 20 years of experience in providing guidance to organizations which have strengthened companies’ competitive positions, increased market share, improved customer satisfaction, and reduced expenses.

Lori has been a practitioner working in the supply chain organizations of automotive companies throughout her career bringing cost savings to the organization through value engineering, value analysis, standardization, negotiations, and supplier partnering methods.  Through the implementation of technology, optimal pricing was realized and sustainability of cost savings could be achieved.

Lori has also authored several articles, is an adjunct professor at Wayne State University, and has presented to international venues on supply chain management and networking and mentoring such as Canada, Greece and South Africa.  She has her C.P.M. and Six Sigma Green Belt and holds a MBA and BSBA from Bowling Green State University. 

 ****Valet parking is available for $5 cash at the hotel.****

All in-kind donations will be given to the Grace Centers of Hope.

All monetary donations will be given to Angels of Hope.

The MBTA room rate is $109 and available by clicking here http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/Book/MBTA.

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From the Charity Page and explanation of the charities MBTA is supporting this Holiday Season.

The Charity Committee and the board have chosen the two charities to receive the donations from the 2011 MBTA Holiday Party Silent Auction and Raffles. Please email Jodie Duncan ([email protected]) with any items you can donate this year.

All in-kind donations will be given to the Grace Centers of Hope.

http://gracecentersofhope.org

Grace Centers of Hope is Oakland County’s oldest and largest homeless shelter providing hope and help since 1942. Today, Grace Centers of Hope is considered one of the leading faith-based organizations in Southeastern Michigan daily confronting issues of homelessness, addiction, poverty and spiritual emptiness. On any given night, Grace Centers of Hope will accommodate between 150-200 men, women and children. Each year we serve over 127,000 meals and provide over 55,000 nights of stay.

Our $4.8 million dollar budget is supported exclusively through private support; we receive no government dollars

GCH provides the basic necessities of life: food, shelter, and clothing. Most importantly, we sustain HOPE. All programs and services provided by Grace Centers of Hope are designed to contribute significantly to the reduction of homelessness, provide clients with opportunities for life-changing recovery, and to help break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and abuse.

Grace Centers of Hope's vital programs include the Emergency Shelter, One Year Life Skills Program for Men and Women, Children's Programs, and the After-Care Program. All guests in our programs benefit from food and shelter services, counseling, life skills courses, vocational education, a drug-free work environment, and our state-of-the-art learning center. The results of our efforts have helped many to obtain a GED, become homeowners, regain their children, and, most importantly, develop the courage to change their lives.

We have attached a list of items they are in need of. In addition to the items on the list we would like to ask for everyone to donate any suits you no longer wear. Grace Center of Hope provides these to the women and men they serve for job interviews. It is a great reason to clean out your closet and help our neighbors in need.

All monetary donations will be given to Angels of Hope.

http://angelsofhope.org

Angels of hope is a dedicated team of volunteers, who are steadfast in our goal of providing ‘everyday angels’ a way to bring hope to children and their families as they battle cancer.

For nearly a decade, Angels of Hope has been providing financial assistance to children and those who love and care for them as they battle cancer (theirs or a parents). With over 90% of donations directly financing these families we ensure every dollar does the most good, from donation to deed.

Kids First

The goal of our signature program is to support children and those who love and care for them as they face the many physical, emotional, and financial challenges that accompany the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The program is only for residents of the State of Michigan. There is nothing cookie cutter about the program – grants are tailored to the specific needs of the family. If you review the “Who We Help” page you will see the summaries of the wonderful families we have been able to support under this program. The program helps families in a variety of areas, but often includes rent or mortgage, auto or home repair, utility payments, grocery and fuel gift cards.

Keeping Children Connected

Because children can miss a great deal of school due to diagnosis and treatment, they are often in need of tutoring and assistance to prevent falling behind in school or to maintain their grades. In addition, the emotional stress and isolation felt by siblings may cause them to fall behind in school as well. Our volunteer teacher(s) will work directly with the teachers of those that we help to establish an academic plan. Our teacher(s) provide them with individual and flexible educational programs according to their particular needs, and give opportunities to try various activities, such as work-study and collaborative work, within the restricted conditions. We pay special attention to the children’s psychology as well as physical conditions. If you are a teacher, and would like to sign up to support the program, please contact our volunteer coordinator at [email protected] and someone will follow up with you.

Lasting Memories

Through the work and partnership of award winning child photographer Erin Drallos, The foundation can help provide complimentary portrait sessions for the family. Erin’s work is different by design, creating a softer, personalized, and more classic and artistic style of portrait. Her images portray the love, innocence and gifts she sees in all of the families she works with. Through this program families will be provided professional photographs that capture and preserve tender moments of their lives at no cost to them. Erin’s work represents the very finest in children’s portraiture.

Unfortunately some of our families lose their children. At a time when people are not considering professional pictures we can help supply families with portraits. These pictures help families with the grieving process by giving them memories they can hold onto for a lifetime. Erin’s company, Footprints Photography ™, is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Angel Network

The foundation always welcomes volunteers who wish to lend their skills and abilities to help with the work we do in the community. Our volunteer group is an active group of supporters that lend helping hands for our various programs. We are always in need of your help. Only with the volunteers’ generous hard-work and dedication can we continue to provide hope and support to children and their families as they battle cancer. If you are interested in signing up as an individual or company, please contact our volunteer coordinator at [email protected] and someone will follow up with you.

Everyone has skills. Through our programs, we are always looking for volunteers to lend a hand. We have needs in a variety of areas.

Annual Holiday Program

This Program was established from of our belief that “no child should go without a Christmas”. The Program provides a Christmas package to families “in-need” in an attempt to help take away some of the financial impact of the devastating effects of cancer at Christmas time. This allows families to take pleasure in enjoying the true meaning of the holiday season. When we provide Christmas for a family, it’s not just about giving them Christmas gifts — it’s about trying to restore some normalcy, happiness and hope to their lives. This Program is organized by us and completely funded at the holidays by our base of generous contributors. Together we work diligently to rekindle the hearts of families each holiday season.