The luncheon is held annually as a way to thank “Alpena’s Executive Heroes” for all their selfless contributions to the community. Banner Realty provided a full-course lunch, catered by Jenny Dowling, as well as donations to each organization, and gifts to the executive officers in attendance.

“We just love them in our community,” Banner Realty Broker/Owner Margie Haaxma said of the nonprofit leaders.

She said the leaders work constantly serving others, and taking a few hours to thank them and recognize them for all their hard work is important, so they remember that they are seen and appreciated for all they do.

“We see what they do,” Haaxma said. “They work day and night trying to please their clients and the people around them that need help from them. We are just thankful that they are willing to come and let us just spoil them for an hour or two.”

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Some of the Banner Realty team members gather for a photo on Wednesday prior to guests arriving at their annual Valentine’s Day Appreciation Luncheon for nonprofit leaders. Pictured, from left, are Filippa Witman, Realtor, Robert Sylvester, Associate Broker, and Margie Haaxma, Broker/Owner of Banner Realty.

Haaxma said Banner Realty has been doing some kind of recognition for nonprofit leaders since they opened in 1990. Banner Realty has held the Valentine’s Day Appreciation Luncheon for the past eight to 10 years, Haaxma said.

“It’s showing love,” Haaxma said of the Valentine’s Day event. “And they show love all year.”

Banner Realty’s motto verse comes from Song of Solomon 2:4, which states, “His banner over me is love.”

Banner Realty Listing Coordinator and Administrative Assistant Sarah Parker gave the invocation before the meal.

“God, when we are overwhelmed by the brokenness we see, help us to remember that you see us,” Parker prayed. “You are in control. We might not be able to stop all the pain and injustice we witness, but we can help overcome evil by doing good … Give us the courage and humility to love people well today.”

Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan

Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan Executive Director Ted Fines was the guest speaker at Wednesday’s event.

“I’m really grateful to Banner — Margie and your staff, for this yearly event,” Fines said. “It’s something we all look forward to because we aren’t recognized too often for all the work that we do.”

Fines honored the late President Jimmy Carter for his work with Habitat for Humanity. Carter passed on Dec. 29, 2024, at the age of 100. President Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter started volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in 1984.

“When they got involved with Habitat for Humanity, he and his wife spent over 35 years dedicating themselves to partnering with Habitat,” Fines said. “He served others his whole life, and for some of us, that’s what we do. We serve others. What else is there in life except to serve others?”

Fines also touched on upcoming Habitat for Humanity Northeast Michigan projects.

“We’re hoping to build eight to 10 new houses, this year alone,” Fines said. “Affordable, attainable, market-rate houses. We’re going to be developing 19-1/2 acres in Hillman, we’re in negotiations with Rogers City to develop 15 acres up there, we’re working with the City of Alpena, the Planning Commission, and the County Land Bank to develop property behind Ella White — 307, 317, and 321 Bedford. The houses have already been ordered. They’ll be here in May. We have six families qualified for three properties. We have 45 people in the pipeline right now.”

He explained that Habitat does not “give houses away.”

“We get them qualified for a mortgage,” Fines said. “An affordable mortgage. They go through the whole process.”

He said they help their clients through the process, whether it takes six months, or six years.

“My job is to inspire everyone, because housing is such a basic need in our community,” Fines said.

He added that many of us may take for granted the fact that we have a home, and reminded attendees that many children and adults in our community do not have that luxury.

In addition to Fines, nonprofit leaders in attendance included: Michelle Bailey, executive director of Sunrise Mission; Annie Hepburn, director of Alpena Senior Citizens Center; Valerie Williams, executive director of Hope Shores Alliance; Christina Kihn, director of the All Saints Center of Charity; Melissa Burns, executive director of Friends Together; Tammie Nemeth, executive director of Options Pregnancy Center; Cindy Johnson, executive director of Huron Humane Society; Major Prezza Morrison of the Salvation Army of Alpena; and Bradley Somers, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena.

After Fines’ presentation, each nonprofit leader shared a short synopsis of what their organization has been doing recently.

Sunrise Mission

“It’s a real privilege to serve in this community with each and every one of you,” Bailey told attendees.

She heads up Sunrise Mission, a homeless shelter in Alpena. She said in 2024 at Sunrise Mission, they were just shy of 11,000 bed nights.

“We are seeing more families and children than ever in our history,” Bailey said. “That’s come with some challenges, but also some beautiful moments.”

She said young children have taken their first steps at the shelter, and they bring joy and laughter to others at Sunrise Mission.

Bailey said homelessness in Northeast Michigan has risen 39.4% in the last year.

Alpena Senior Citizens Center

“The senior center is popping at the seams,” Hepburn said. “We’re busy. We’re active. We have many, many programs, but our main focus is our Meals on Wheels program, and our congregate meals. Last year, we provided over 73,000 meals.”

She added the senior center provides services to anyone age 60 or older in Alpena County. They have dementia support resources, and a kinship support group for grandparents and relatives raising children.

Hope Shores Alliance

Williams explained that Hope Shores Alliance has been working on making access to sexual assault forensic nurse examiners possible for survivors of violence or abuse.

“What that means is, when someone shows up at the hospital after an assault, access to a forensic exam is limited,” Williams said. “They can get medical care. They can get all kinds of things, but to have that kit completed to take to court to have a successful prosecution is very hard to come by.”

She said Hope Shores received a federal grant in 2024 to start a forensic nurse examiner program partnering with MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena. Hope Shores serves five counties: Alpena, Alcona, Iosco, Montmorency, and Presque Isle.

Center of Charity

“We have several different programs in our building,” Kihn said of the Center for Charity. “We have the Friendship Room, that serves over 24,000 meals a year … We have our community room, and we have an overnight shelter for men only, 18-plus, with 10 beds. We also have a new program that’s going to be coming into our building, that’s Compass North, for childen who are either runaways or they are homeless.”

She said the Baby Pantry and Children’s Closet are also in the Center of Charity.

“We try every single day to encompass what God wants us to do, and that is to care for others,” Kihn said.

She said thanks to the community’s generosity, they met their $75,000 match to unlock the $75,000 grant from the Besser Foundation.

Friends Together

“We help people with cancer, at any point in their journey,” Burns said of Friends Together. “We also help their loved ones, too.”

Burns said transportation is a major barrier for getting people to and from cancer treatment appointments.

“Every month, we give out $5,000 to $6,000 in gas cards alone,” Burns said.

Friends Together has two vans and about 20 volunteer drivers.

“They’re taking patients anywhere in Michigan that they need to get to for their cancer care,” Burns said. “We also offer lodging, free of charge, to patients.”

Options Pregnancy Center

“Our ultrasound machine is officially up and running, and we’re doing pregnancy tests,” Nemeth said.

She explained that Options is life-based, providing support services for those in unplanned pregnancy situations, and much more.

“We’ve seen that ectopic pregnancy is on the rise,” she said. “We want to detect that early on. We have services for emotional support if you have a miscarriage.”

Options also provides emotional support services for those who have previously had an abortion, or have experienced a stillbirth.

Nurses will come in and provide lactation classes and breastfeeding classes, she said.

“We have healthy pregnancy classes that are going to start in person,” Nemeth said. “We have a wealth of parenting classes.”

Huron Humane Society

“We deal with four-legged friends,” Johnson said. “Every year, the Huron Humane Society takes in over 500 animals.”

She added that they have a food pantry at the Huron Humane Society, available to those in need.

Johnson thanked the other leaders for all they do.

“We all cross paths,” she said. “We all have a connection, which is really great.”

The Salvation Army of Alpena

Morrison said there has been increased need in the past year.

“We feel like we don’t have enough time, and certainly not enough money to serve the people that we do,” Morrison said. “We are blessed, because we were able to reach our Christmas goal of $185,000 this year, so that was great.”

She said the Salvation Army has partnered with Aldi through the Food Bank.

“On Mondays, I go pick up a bunch of food — fill up a maxi van with food, bring it in, and try to put as much as we can in our pantry. And what we can’t fit in our pantry, we put on a table outside, and we just post it (on Facebook). I love this kind of weather because we can leave it outside.”

Boys and Girls Club of Alpena

Somers said 2024 was a “banner year” (pun intended) for the Boys and Girls Club.

“We served over 32,000 meals, for free, to kids in our community,” Somers said. “We served just over 1,400 kids last year — 167 a day, which is up from our old building, which was 100 to 115 a day.”

He credited the community for the success of the club.

“We are only in the position we are as an organization because of the help we receive from others,” Somers said. “We all serve the community, and that’s at the heart of what we do.”

The nonprofit leaders agreed that collaboration is the key to successfully serving the community.

“I thank all of you for what you do, because working together helps make our community a great place to live,” Burns told attendees.

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