Utilizing uncanny leadership skills honed during six years serving in the United States Army’s Special Forces, Lo’Ree accomplishes this through STORM (Specialized Tactical Operations Relief Mobilization), a relief organization he founded seven years ago.

Cocoa came to the shelter because his previous owners discovered they were allergic, but their loss could be your gain. This little guy is as sweet as they come! He absolutely loves treats like lettuce and carrots – when it’s snack time, you can hear his delighted squeals of excitement echoing through the shelter.

At a little over ten years young, Ellie knows exactly what she wants – her own castle (or cozy corner) where she can rule as the one-and-only feline. Other cats? Not her thing. But don’t let her age fool you! Ellie has plenty of love and energy left, and she’s not too old to show you a few cool tricks with her favorite toy balls. She’ll happily pounce for a play session, then gracefully accept a wet-food treat (only the finest, please).

A lively and lovable 4½-year-old, Miggy has been at the Humane Society since November 13, 2023. This sweet boy was adopted once, but through no fault of his own, he was returned – still eager to find the right family.

Let’s face it – most dogs are loved by their owners, pampered and considered to be members of the family. But there are far too many dogs out there that are chained, neglected, unfed, shivering in the cold and often abused. While these words may sound like that certain ASPCA commercial we all avoid watching on TV, they describe an unfortunate reality.

The Fli River Anglers (FRA) is a nonprofit organization and chapter of the Flint River Watershed Coalition (FRWC). Co-founded by avid fly fishermen Jeremy Piper, Ryan Thompson and Adam Haffajee, FRA’s mission is threefold: improve angler access to the Flint River, increase access to angling for underserved youth, and bring hunting and fishing conservation groups together to maximize the impact of their shared missions. “Conserve, preserve and improve local waterways for enjoyment by anglers,” says Piper, “that is our goal.”

“When we refresh others in giving, we refresh ourselves.” This is the motto of the Donations With Love Foundation (DWLF), a non-profit founded in 2015. “We are a diverse organization and we help everyone,” says Founder and CEO Darcele Cole-Robinson, PhD, LLMSW-C, a graduate of Flint Northern High School and University of Michigan-Flint. DWLF is part of the Genesee County Prevention Coalition, which creates partnerships to address substance use and mental health disorders impacting Genesee County youth and adults.

Since she was a child, Nicole Stilson, DVM of Linden has loved horses and did anything she could to be around them. It was that passion and love of horses that inspired the founding of Carousel of Hope Miniature Horse Therapy in May 2022. The organization’s purpose is to provide mobile equine-assisted therapy and activities to children and adults of all ages and abilities.

Did you know that every night, right here in Genesee County, more than 200 individuals are living in emergency shelters? According to Shelly Hoffman, Development Director at Shelter of Flint, Inc., countless others live on the streets, sleeping on a friend’s couch, in a car or an abandoned building.

Everyone deserves a good night’s rest and there is an organization in Flushing whose mission is to make sure that children who’ve been sleeping on the floor have a bed of their own in which to sleep.

Let’s help make the holidays magical for everyone! This is the season of giving to those who are less fortunate. There are many agencies and organizations that help the needy in Greater Flint and surrounding communities during the holidays. These local groups can use your donation and your generosity can make the season just a little brighter.

For many of the people of Greater Flint, homelessness has been a constant threat since the 1980s and the problem has only grown, with record increases in rental rates and a lack of affordable traditional housing. Today, it is estimated that nearly 600,000 people are experiencing homelessness throughout the country and, of those experiencing it, nearly 6% are United States Military veterans. In Greater Flint, the percentage of homeless vets is much higher. “It is estimated that between 15-40% of the local homeless individuals are veterans,” states Katie Baxter, CEO of Catholic Charities of Shiawassee and Genesee Counties. “In this group, there is clearly a need. After everything they have done for us, it just doesn’t seem right.”