Step Up Foundation

We have been busy hitting the pavement, talking to organizations, and rallying the community to raise enough support to unlock our $5,000 Community Foundation of Monroe County Matching Grant — and WE DID IT!

THANK YOU, MONROE! ❤️

We have some very special people and organizations we want to recognize for helping push us over the top these last few weeks.

First, Louise Bauerschmidt, Kathy DeSloover and Ann Lux held a garage sale fundraiser and raised an incredible $500 donation for Step Up Foundation! Even more amazing, this group is made up of retired teachers from Monroe Public Schools and Mason who saw our mission and decided to step up to help further it. Talk about never truly retiring when it comes to helping kids! Kudos ladies, and THANK YOU for believing in our mission to fight childhood hunger in Monroe County.

Secondly, thanks to Sam Struth, I had the opportunity to speak at a board meeting for the Community Uplift Program "CUP". Yesterday, we received the exciting call that CUP would be donating $1,010 — putting us OVER THE TOP and officially making this grant FULLY FUNDED!

We are beyond grateful. What makes this even more special is that CUP is also part of the Community Foundation of Monroe County family as a fundholder, making this partnership incredibly meaningful to us. If you get a chance, please check out their organization and all the amazing things they are doing throughout Monroe County!

To everyone who donated, shared our mission, encouraged us, or helped along the way — THANK YOU. This community continues to prove what can happen when people come together for kids.

Exciting things are ahead for Step Up Foundation! More pantries are already in the works, new and existing partnerships continue to grow stronger, and this is only the beginning!

Together, we are building something bigger for the kids and families of Monroe County. Stay tuned… the best is yet to come!

Happy to announce our webpage is finally live!!

www.stepupmonroe.com

ONLY $1,655 to go and we reach our donation match goal with Community Foundation of Monroe County! Any donation helps!

DONATE BELOW! 👇

https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcfmonroe.fcsuite.com%2Ferp%2Fdonate%2Fcreate%2Fgrant%3Fgrant_id%3D4308&data=05%7C02%7Ckstarr%40fbinsmi.com%7C4f86b4bf2f804d9f8feb08de8b6e3364%7Cc2642f0253f4497f84357449372a3fea%7C0%7C0%7C639101502618532237%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2FI5o4EDtG891umP0Utewx6ympk8CUDKuKxMG2hk%2FiK8%3D&reserved=0

We are so grateful to be part of the Community Foundation of Monroe Countys very first Spark Tank and earn a spot in the Spark Lab!!

A huge THANK YOU for the generous $2,500 matching grant to support our school pantry program—helping us feed and support students across Monroe County!!

Now we need your help to unlock it!
We’re raising $2,500 to receive the full match—and every dollar will be doubled! Any dollar amount helps!!

👉 Donate here:
https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcfmonroe.fcsuite.com%2Ferp%2Fdonate%2Fcreate%2Fgrant%3Fgrant_id%3D4308&data=05%7C02%7Ckstarr%40fbinsmi.com%7C4f86b4bf2f804d9f8feb08de8b6e3364%7Cc2642f0253f4497f84357449372a3fea%7C0%7C0%7C639101502618532237%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2FI5o4EDtG891umP0Utewx6ympk8CUDKuKxMG2hk%2FiK8%3D&reserved=0

Thank you for helping us make a real impact for our kids 💛

We are beyond excited to officially announce the opening of TWO more Step Up Foundation school pantries:

-Custer Cougar Care Center at Custer Elementary School
-Hollywood Mini Mart at Hollywood Elementary

And let me tell you… these weren’t just “funded”… they were built from the ground up with heart, sweat, and purpose.

A HUGE shoutout to our incredible sponsors:
CUSTER - Advanced Plumbing’s Josh & Alisha Haines LaRoy
HOLLYWOOD - Tres Chic Salon & Spa's Shelley Roberts

These amazing community leaders didn’t just write a check—they rolled up their sleeves and got to work. We’re talking building shelves, sanding, painting, creating custom signs… bringing these spaces to life with their own hands.

That kind of commitment is rare… and it’s powerful.

It’s a true example of what can happen when a community comes together and says: “We’re stepping up for our kids.”

We also want to extend our deepest gratitude to the staff at both schools who welcomed us in, stayed flexible, and supported us through many long nights of work. Your belief in this mission means everything.

Also, we could not have done this without additional incredible support:
- Friendly Ford
- Anne Noland & the Southfield Village Neighborhood Crew — your generosity made a BIG impact!
- H&H Signs - thank you for the amazing vinyl graphics and door wraps that make these spaces feel fun, exciting, and welcoming for the kids!

We’re building something bigger than pantries.
We’re building community. ❤️

Monroe Public Schools Community Foundation of Monroe County

A big thank you to the Gaynier Family for another very generous donation to the Step Up Foundation and our mission to bring school pantries to students across Monroe County.

Support like this is what allows us to continue expanding these pantries and ensuring students have access to food and essentials when they need them most. We are incredibly grateful for community partners like Mike and Wendy who believe in this mission and help make it possible.

Thank you for STEPPING UP for our kids and our community!! 💪🏼 ❤️

Josh and Alisha, your generosity means more than words can properly express. Your donation to the Step Up Foundation is not just a gift — it’s an investment in the kids and families of Monroe County, and a reminder of how powerful community can be when people choose to care.

Because of you, students will have support they may not have otherwise had. You’re helping meet real needs, easing real worries, and showing kids that they matter. That impact reaches far beyond today, and we are incredibly thankful for your hearts and your belief in this mission.

From all of us at Step Up — and from the kids whose lives you’re touching — thank you for stepping up and making a difference where it truly counts!

Arborwood/Hollywood & Custer schools are up next!! Both spaces bring new and exiting opportunities AND we are again collaborating with two new local businesses to make them even better!! Stay tuned!!

Monroe Public Schools