Milan’s Coffee Shop and community gathering place, The Owl, Morning ‘til Night, helped raise $7,834 on Monday Dec. 15 to be split between Aid In Milan and Compassion Ministry in Milan.
Owner Ryan Wilman knew this year he wanted to help provide food for those in crisis and he wanted to do it with others instead of simply writing a check so everyone could feel the joy of lifting their community.
“A lot of people might be tight on money,” Wilman said, “but going out for a couple of drinks isn’t too expensive and it’s fun. That person also got to feel like they were part of something so big. Hundreds of people who came out that day, every single one of them played a part. They can take pleasure in really re-stocking those food banks.”
Crowds showed up at The Owl, Morning ‘til Night to help raise $7,834 for nonprofits on Dec. 15.
Business Support
The State Farm in Milan, Phillip Cook Branch matched the first $1,000 raised. Then Victory Chevrolet in Milan matched $500 and Imperial Beverages matched $500.
Sara Bearman with S’Mac and Cheese donated her $1,520 in sales for the event.
“Isn’t it fantastic! In less than two hours! It was amazing,” Bearman said. “People were lined up, freezing with us, because it stays really cold in the trailer. It was fantastic.”
In addition, customers kept the Owl’s employees busy from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The owners of The Owl and S’Mac and Cheese donated all their money in sales to local food banks Monday.
Success
Dexter resident Alyssa Bolton and her two kids drove to Milan for the event to see old friends and support a good cause. Amidst the crowds they ordered S’Mac and Cheese and got some drinks.
“It was great,” Bolton said. “Even though we haven’t lived there in over a year, it still felt like coming home. The community is so great it doesn’t matter if you are away for a minute or a year. You can walk right back in and feel like you can be a part of something.”
Wilman said because it was so successful it cost them more money.
“That was exactly the goal,” he said. “It was awesome. It was 100-percent of sales, nothing taken out for the cost of goods, cost of employees. We just ate that cost so we could make it truly a giving day.”
Increased Need
According to Andrew Felder, Executive Director at Aid In Milan, with the government shut down and cuts to SNAP benefits they are seeing an approximate 60 percent increase in demand the last few months. In addition to their food bank, they provided 80 Thanksgiving meals to families, partnered with Fieldstone Church to create 80 boxes of household and personal items to give out, and sponsored 80 families for Christmas.
Felder said he’s been very grateful for the outpouring of support from Milan businesses and not just food, but also money to help them keep their programs going and their own lights on.
According to Aid In Milan the demand for help is up 60 percent this year.
Other support
Felder said this is not the only way the business community has stepped up to help those in need. He said the Owl also gives a portion of its sales earned between 6-8 p.m. the third Friday of each month to Aid In Milan.
In addition, he said many other Milan businesses have stepped up to support the Food Bank. For instance, when Plum Tree Yarn Shop’s owners retired and closed their doors they sold their samples and all proceeds went to Aid In Milan. Felder said the proceeds were more than $6,000.
“There are so many downtown businesses looking to do that,” Felder said.
Bearman said it was an easy choice to help out.
“Just because we believe a lot in Milan and Ryan and we have donated to both Aid in Milan and Compassion Ministries in the past and so we know how much good those organizations do,” Bearman said. “If we can take one night of sales and help them out, help people out, we absolutely would.”
8123 Main St Suite 200 Dexter, MI 48130
