Monday morning, Saline resident Karen Mitton was driving home from setting up a winter clothing giveaway. As a volunteer with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints she coordinated the giveaway with more than 40 other nonprofits across Washtenaw County.
It had been just more than a week since the Sunday Sept. 28, 2025, shooting and arson in Grand Blanc. A man drove his truck into a meeting house while members were worshipping, set the building on fire and started shooting. The attack left four dead, in addition to the assailant, and injured many others.
“I feel like in times like this tons of people feel like their hands are tied,” said Mitton, a physical therapist assistant, who took the week off to oversee the project.
Mitton first learned about the tragedy when attending her church in Saline on Sunday. She could tell something was wrong when she watched the leaders at the front looking at their phones with concerned looks, leaving their seats and coming back. During the final talk, the speaker, President John Larsen, let the overflowing audience, filling all the way back into the gym, know the church doors were locked due to a tragic incident that had happened in Grand Blanc. Then he continued with a message about the meeting theme, loving your neighbor.
Tragedy
The news of the shooting quickly spread across Michigan – and the world.
Dexter resident Stacy Anderson was also attending church when someone passed her a phone showing a news report about a shooting in Grand Blanc. She texted a Grand Blanc woman she’d worked with when planning youth activities and asked if everything was OK.
“It’s so bad,” the woman replied.
Minutes later, Larsen made the announcement to those who were attending the regional church meeting, including those from Chelsea, Dexter, Saline, Milan, and surrounding areas, plus others watching online from their homes.
“I was in disbelief and then it was this confirmation that it was real,” said Anderson.
One father went into a corner to talk on the phone with family members who attended the church in Grand Blanc. Other members opened their phones to look up the news.
Healing
After the shooting, church leaders worked to support their members locally and help those in Grand Blanc. The Tuesday after the shooting, one youth group in Washtenaw County gathered to paint prayer rocks and have a chance to talk about events. During another youth activity, grief counselors met with teens who wanted to talk. A group of women made Boo Bags. People reached out to each other, offering listening ears. Some posted online asking for prayers for missing people. The church in Saline shared extra office furniture to help the Grand Blanc Ward furnish a new location. Others sent cards or food.
Amidst an outpouring of love, Grand Blanc issued a statement expressing thanks for all those “ready to jump in and minister to them” and explained that “they are being taken care of” and “the healing will come from counseling, being together and Jesus Christ.”
It went on to state: “As you ask, ‘What can I do to help?’ Please turn toward where you are and ‘Serve Where You Stand!’” In an email, church leaders suggested members turn their sorrow into service in their own communities, mentioning several opportunities, including the clothing giveaway.
Service
Wednesday Oct. 8 volunteers from throughout Washtenaw County filled the building of an Ypsilanti chapel. In addition to church youth groups from Chelsea, Dexter, Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor and Saline, there were also friends of other beliefs, including members of a service club at Pioneer High School.
Milan resident Griffin Lawrence, age 12, was there with two friends. He helped with putting snow pants on hangers and hanging them in the hallway.
Lawrence said he was horrified to hear what happened in Grand Blanc.
“It was just terrifying, knowing that happened,” he said, adding. “I was thinking about how sad it must be that somebody died—and somebody in someone’s family—and so I was wanting to help. There were a lot of things I wanted to do.”
He had already signed up to help Wednesday, but was really happy about how many different congregations served together.
Earlier in the week, volunteers spent days separating half a tractor trailer load of winter clothing by size and type. But, the large numbers Wednesday evening finished the job in an hour and then Lawrence and some of the others went outside to play Capture the Flag.
Community
Before they left, Mitton told the youth that every agency she has worked with this year has expressed greater needs than the year before. While the church has had the program at 11 locations, including Flint, Detroit, Westland and Toledo for years, it is only the second year in Ypsilanti.
Mitton has organized the Ypsilanti site both years, meeting with elected officials, working with social workers in area schools, and coordinating with partners, including Jewish Family Services, the Hope Clinic, Saline Area Social Services and SOS Community Services, among others, to pass out vouchers.
She told the youth groups and other volunteers that last year there were 1,500 vouchers given away. This year there were 2,000. Each family only needs one voucher to come “shop.”
“The temperatures are dropping. This is the perfect time for this to happen,” Mitton said. “You are making a difference that does counteract the bad. You are lifting where you stand. This directly impacts our community in a positive way.”
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