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A few months ago, I wrote in this space about why Northeast Michigan needs Habitat for Humanity -- about the housing crisis playing out quietly behind front doors across our five counties, and about an organization built to answer it one home at a time. Today I want to tell you how you can be part of that answer directly, because on Friday, Oct. 9, we’re inviting this community to join us in building hope. This year's Habitat NEMI Annual Dinner runs from 4 to 9 p.m. Oct. 9 at Thunder Bay Resort in Hillman -- a fitting setting, given that some of the newest homes we’ve built sit just up the road on Pine Street. Guests will take an Elk Viewing Carriage Ride past those three homes before settling in for a signature gourmet dinner and wine tasting at Thunder Bay Resort Lodge. Matt Nahan, executive director of the orsa foundation, will deliver the keynote speech. Orsa has consistently supported the work of Habitat NEMI, investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in the rural housing mission in the past three years. This exclusive experience will also include a raffle, featuring a custom-made deer blind, a $500 gift certificate, and a $250 cash prize. But underneath the evening’s hospitality is a serious purpose: every dollar raised goes directly into building homes and hope across Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, Oscoda, and Presque Isle Counties. That’s where sponsorship comes in, and why I’m asking local businesses and individuals to consider stepping forward this year. We’ve structured our sponsorship levels around the mission itself: Hammer Sponsor at $5,000, Foundation Sponsor at $2,500, Builder Sponsor at $1,000, and Friend of Habitat Sponsor at $500. Each level comes with tickets to the dinner and recognition at the event and in promotions. More importantly, each one is a direct investment in the work now underway in Hillman and Rogers City, where we’re developing new subdivisions that will bring dozens of homes to families who need them, and in the scattered-lot builds and critical home repairs happening right here in Alpena. I’ve watched this event grow because this community understands something important: a housing crisis in a rural region doesn’t get solved by the government or by the market alone. It gets solved when local businesses, families, organizations, churches, clubs and neighbors decide to underwrite it themselves. Every sponsor whose name appears on our materials this October is someone who looked at the need in our five counties and chose to answer it. If you’ve ever wanted a tangible way to invest in Northeast Michigan’s future -- in the workforce housing that keeps our employers competitive, in the roofs that keep our seniors safe, in the front doors that let young families put down roots here instead of leaving -- this is it.
Sponsorship packets are available now, and tickets to the dinner itself are going fast. For sponsorship information or tickets, contact Darby Hinkley at darby.hinkley@habitatnemi.org or Jennifer Nestell at jennifer.nestell@habitatnemi.org, visit www.habitatnemi.org, or call our office at 989-354-5555. I hope to see you at Thunder Bay Resort on October 9th -- and I hope you’ll consider joining us not just as a guest, but as a sponsor of the work still ahead.
Ted Fines has served as executive director of Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan since 2016. The affiliate serves Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, Oscoda, and Presque Isle counties.