Holiday outreach doesn't stop in December for Quicken Loans

2011 was a fantastic year for the Quicken Loans, Super Powerful Banking Force. Dozens of leaders and teams came out to numerous volunteer events during the holiday season.  Whether it was packaging food at one of the local food banks; going the extra mile and adopting a family in need, or taking part  at one of the coat or toy drives; these folks gave their time and talents anywhere they could!

During the months of November and December our banking force wanted to do even more; they took the initiative to create a contest where if they hit or exceeded their individual monthly goals, a donation would be made to a charity of their choice on behalf of Quicken Loans. Hard work really does pays off; these folks were successful and able to make a difference for three local Detroit charities.This past week, six banking regions were given the opportunity to meet with leaders and representatives from Lighthouse of Oakland County, Forgotten Harvest and Focus:HOPE. At each meeting, the Regional Vice Presidents of Banking and their teams surprised the organizations with a special check presentation.

On Tuesday, Jan 10th, RVP of Mortgage Banking Jared Goldapper and his Grand Central Division(above) invited John Ziraldo, President and C.E.O of Lighthouse of Oakland County to the Quicken Loans Southfield Office to meet with team leaders and directors to accept his check.Lighthouse of Oakland County has been providing services to low-income families in Oakland County since 1972 by providing assistance to families and individuals in need on 70,000 separate occasions.  Lighthouse is dedicated tor ejuvenating communities, providing emergency food, housing, medical, utility and other services to people who need immediate help. To learn more about Lighthouse of Oakland County click here.

(Above) R.V.P of Mortgage Banking Jason Pace and his Made in Detroit region invited Russ Russell, C.O.O. of Forgotten Harvest to his Monthly Regional Meeting at the Chase Tower for a special check presention with R.V.P.Tom Nelson and his Monopoly Region. The mission of Forgotten Harvest is to relieve hunger in the Detroit metropolitan community by rescuing surplus, prepared and perishable food and donating it to emergency food providers. Forgotten Harvest rescued 19.4 million pounds of food last year by collecting perishable food from companies, grocery stores, restaurants and farmers. This donated food—that would otherwise go to waste—is delivered free of charge to emergency food providers in the metro Detroit area. http://www.forgottenharvest.org/

Wrapping up the week, (Above) R.V.P's of Mortgage Banking, Adam Speck and his Prophecy Region, Marshall Kutz and the Follow Up Nation Region, and (Below) Dan Majewski and the Mortgage Insiders Region hosted C.E.O, William F. Jones, Jr.,Bill Wenzel, Manager of Volunteer Services and Opal Maye, Mgr of Corporate Relations of Focus:HOPE at The Chase Tower and Compuware Building for special meet-and-greet style meeting where each of the teams were able to present their checks and learn more about Focus:HOPE's dedication to Detroit.

Focus: HOPE, a civil and human rights organization founded in 1968, serves the community through a food program, education and training programs, and community and economic development initiatives. Its neighborhood revitalization efforts began in the 1970s as the organization converted abandoned industrial buildings into offices, a food center and education facilities. More than 41,000 mothers, children and senior citizens receive food each month from Focus: HOPE - and thousands of talented men and women have established careers after graduating from the education programs.

A special thank you to ALL of Our Super Powerful Banking Force here at Quicken Loans for making a difference this past holiday season. Your efforts and commitment to making a "DIFF" are truly AMAZING!

Quicken Loans 2011 DIFF Makers

Quicken Loans and our Family of Companies would like to thank all of those who came out in 2011 and shared their time and talents in the communities where we live, work, and play. Here's to another year of being The DIFF; we look forward to seeing you in 2012!

Quicken Loans Help Keep Children Warm this Holiday Season

Many children within our community are without a warm coat to wear this winter, so Capuchin hosts their annual Coat Distribution Day to ensure children of Metro Detroit stay warm during the season.  This year, Quicken Loans teamed up with Capuchin Soup Kitchen, to help provide warmth and comfort to local children.

On Thursday, November 22nd Quicken Loans assisted families, as they picked out new coats, hats, gloves, and scarves for their children. With over 1000 families scheduled to arrive, our team kept busy and soon helped Capuchin reach their goal. As our three hour shift came to an end we distributed more than 300 coats to families in need!

The Capuchin Soup Kitchen is dedicated to serving others in the Metro Detroit area because the need is great.  Quicken Loans and our families of companies are proud to support the Capuchin Soup Kitchen and its’ mission to make a Diff in our community.

To learn other ways you can help support the Capuchin Soup Kitchen please click here.

Quicken Loans "Doing the Most Good" with the Salvation Army

On Wednesday, December 21 over 40 Quicken Loans team members volunteered at the Salvation Army Corps Community Center in Warren, Mich. during the Toy Distribution Day; the annual program helps thousands of needy children, who might otherwise go without a hot meal or presents under the Christmas tree.

 The day was split into two shifts where volunteers acted as personal shoppers for low income families. We started the off with a light breakfast and a prayer led by Majors Kevin and Christie Van Zee, the appointed administrators of The Salvation Army’s Warren Center. 

Once we were given our duties as personal shoppers, we began guiding parents as they picked out toys for their children. The toys were separated according to age group and included everything from Barbie dolls to toy scooters, which made for a wide variety of items to choose from.  The Community DIFF Makers did an AMAZING job assisting parents, grandparents and guardians with their choices.  All of the team members seemed to have a rewarding experience and expressed how much they would love to come back and help out again next year.

This year, over 1,000 pre-screened families picked up new toys and food at the Salvation Army’s Toy Shop in Warren. This is just one of the ways Quicken Loans and our families of companies has supported the Salvation Army and we are proud to join them as they continue doing the most good in our community.

Quicken Loans Scottsdale; Making "Wishes" Come True

    Quicken Loans Holiday Outreach spreads far from the city of Detroit, all the way out to sunny Scottsdale, Arizona where 300+ of our team members continue to Amaze clients time and time again. Along with other holiday happenings, fundraisers, and donations being collected for organizations we continue to support; our Arizona team wanted to do something a little extra. The first week of December, we created the concept of an "Adopt a Wish Tree" with the help of our friends at The Make a Wish Foundation of Arizona. The goal the Arizona office set was to grant two wishes for children in the Greater Phoenix area, before Christmas.
    On December 5th, two wish children were selected from a pipeline of wishes and a festive seven-foot tree was set up in the office. Over 100 paper wish stars covered the tree, with brief biographies and photo's of one boy and one girl selected. Each star was then labeled with a monetary denomination ranging from $25-$100 on the back of each. Team members and Leaders of the AMAZING Arizona banking force were then given the opportunity to take down stars, as donations were made or funds were raised towards their $5000 goal.

    These wish experiences are a source of inspiration for the children undergoing very difficult medical treatments and a positive force that helps them overcome these obstacles. Every granted wish represents the time given and talents used by families, medical professionals, and passionate volunteers. On December 23rd, we received word that the Arizona not only hit their goal in 18 short days, but two days before the Christmas Holiday, and exceeded it by $1000! Due to their hard work, sense of urgency and desire to make a DIFF, the lives of two very special children in the Phoenix area will forever be changed. Stay tuned for an update, as the Arizona office will play an integral role in making these wishes come true in 2012!
 (Above, the last 2 remaining wish-stars which were claimed just moments after the photo was taken)

For more information on The Make a Wish Foundation of Arizona, click here.