By: Clair Wood, Huron Pines AmeriCorps Member
To read the official news article posted on the Huron Pines website Click Here.
Huron Pines AmeriCorps members will partner with Home Depot and local Eagle Scouts to host a service project on Wednesday, September 11th from 9am to 2pm at Patriot Place. Located at 1430 Patriot Drive in Gaylord, Patriot Place is the only transitional housing community for veterans in Northern Michigan. Huron Pines AmeriCorps has 15 AmeriCorps members placed at different Northern Michigan conservation organizations. In remembrance of 9/11, the group wanted to give back to their community by assisting others who have made the ultimate service to our country. "To commemorate the anniversary of 9/11, we at Huron Pines AmeriCorps are so proud to be able to partner with Patriot Place and the Gaylord community to show our thanks to the veterans who have served our nation. We are excited to work together on conservation projects to enhance wildlife habitat on the property, which Patriot Place residents can enjoy for years to come," said Huron Pines AmeriCorps member Joy Leisen, who has spearheaded planning this effort.
The project, which AmeriCorps members have planned in tandem with Patriot Place staff, aims to attract wildlife and beautify the housing development’s grounds. Volunteers will be building birdhouses, puddle stones and toad houses, as well as removing invasive plant species like spotted knapweed and mullein. They will also help complete a memorial garden by laying down pavers, planting ornamental grass and trees, and finishing construction of a gazebo. Home Depot has generously donated supplies for the event, and Patriot Place will be hosting a celebratory cookout. If you are interested in volunteering at this event, please contact Joy Leisen at (989) 448-2293 ext. 25 or joy@huronpines.org.
Patriot Place is supported by Goodwill Industries, which sponsors programs focused on preventing homelessness and providing housing support services and veterans transitional housing. For more information about Patriot Place, visit www.goodwillnmi.org. Huron Pines, based in Gaylord, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) conservation organization and an equal opportunity provider with a mission to conserve the forest, lakes and streams of Northeast Michigan. To learn more about Huron Pines and Huron Pines AmeriCorps, click here.