By: Courtney Patterson

Greetings Sisters and Brothers,

Hello, and Happy September! 2026 is cruising right along, and before you know it Christmas will be upon us. I can’t wrap my head around Christmas yet, so let’s start with Labor Day, shall we?

On Monday, September 7, 2026, there was a Labor Day parade that keeps getting bigger and bigger every year. Directly afterwards, there was a short historical program as well as a tribute to the 1936-1937 Sitdowners and Women’s Emergency Brigade. What a great day! If you’ve never attended one of these programs on Labor Day, you should. It’s very informational and a joy to watch.

Next, let’s speak on my favorite day, my favorite event, and my favorite holiday…Halloween! Trunk or Treat this year is going to be one to remember. Mark your calendars for Sunday, October 25, 1:00-3:00p.m., for spooky, scary fun for all ages. This event is 100% free to the public and gets bigger and better every year.

Candy donations are being taken in the plants and at the Union Hall, and we appreciate all the help we can get.

If you are interested in setting your car up, we would love to have you! Let’s go all out and rock this thing for the kids again this year. Halloween decorations will be going up inside the hall soon enough. That is when Duane and I get done arguing over what is “too soon.”

A few other fun facts that have to do with September that struck me are that it’s National Cat Month (who knew?). September 11 is National Hug Your Hound Day and September 13 is Kids Take Over The Kitchen Day. That should bring some interesting stories and fond memories.

With the colder months coming, the need for warmer things in the community comes with it. Most nonprofits in the Genesee County area have a common shortage of men’s winter boots, socks, long johns and other warm weather gear. They will take women’s and children’s items as well.

If you can find some extra-cold weather items laying around and you can spare them, they will be greatly appreciated among our steadily growing homeless population. Your Community Service Committee will be putting flyers up and collecting donations soon. If you are unsure of where to bring your things, please call me and I’ll do anything I can to help.

Times are tough for a lot of our friends and neighbors these days. Lending a helping hand where we can is food for the soul.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Women’s Committee did an awesome job selling t-shirts this year. We embraced a football feel to the design and offered two colors. The membership seemed to love them.

All money collected was donated to Hurley’s Pink Fund. The Pink Fund only provides help to patients and their families in Genesee County. Money from people in Genesee County helping people in Genesee County.

The Breast Cancer Walk of 2026 will be October 10, 2026 at 10:00a.m., and starts at the DDA Lot, located at 412 S. Saginaw St. (downtown Flint). I hope to see you there in all your pink attire!

Until next time…

“Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.”
-Henry Ford

One more for good measure…

“If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr.