Greater Michigan Plumbing and Mechanical Contractors

In the following pages we have outlined a number of the programs that we have become involved in. The programs provide much needed assistance for the neighborhood, while it also brings the members of the PMC and their employees of UA Local 190 together. It enables us to assist with providing additional resources for the communities that they so desperately need.

More "babes" in Livingston County than ever are crying out for men of substance, as the Real Men Rock campaign remains under way.

The Greater Michigan Plumbing and Mechanical Contractor's Association, Inc. sent our photographer Carolyn Orth for the photo shoots along with Executive Associate Diane Calmeyn, who worked on the production and printing of the posters. Sponsored by the Child Abuse Prevention Council, a program of the Women's Resource Center, the campaign is meant to send a message to men.

"CAP's job is to educate the public of any form of child abuse," said Candy Parent, chair of the CAP council. "April is Shaken Baby Month, so Real Men Rock is a campaign to bring awareness to this problem."

"The posters are keyed to men," said Carolina DeLuca of CAP, who gave the original inspiration for the poster. "They don't know their own strength. They can shake a baby without knowing what they're doing. They have no idea what they're doing is so dangerous." She said shaking a baby can result in damage from learning disabilities to death.

There are so many people who have suffered from shaken baby syndrome, and they never document it. Whatever statistic you come up with that's been reported, you can probably at least double that to get the number of cases that aren't. Parent said the posters will hit home with the message. The posters have a saying or words of advice for dealing with babies.

The posters are now in their third printing since originally produced in the spring of 2003.

Habitat for Humanity
Women's Build Project

The PMC membership continues to be actively involved in Habitat for Humanity. This year we are sponsoring fourteen houses where the PMC pays for the materials to do the mechanical work at homes, and UA 190 members donate the time to do the installation. In addition to
our members donating money and materials for the projects, they also donate the contractors' trucks and tools for the installations.

A number of the members' employees are involved in local projects and volunteer their evenings and Saturdays to work on the homes.

This year, the Washtenaw County Habitat for Humanity built a home with all women labor. The PMC and UA Local 190 were involved in getting donated labor, and helping to pay for some of the equipment and supplies on the project.

With hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops deployed around the world, actively engaged in Operation Iraqi Freedom and the fight against terrorism, the USO is offering a way to send a reminder to the troops that they are appreciated and have not been forgotten.

Due to heightened security, individuals can no longer send letters and packages marked for delivery to 'Any Service Member'. Endorsed by the Department of Defense, the USO program "Operation USO Care Package", provides individuals with a way to touch the lives of our deployed troops around the world.

The USO is sending care packages that include requested items such as pre-paid worldwide phone cards, sunscreen, travel size toiletries, and messages from Americans who want to thank them for their service. As days turn into weeks and weeks into months, reminders from home are welcomed by the troops. If you would like to consider contributing, further information is available at questions@usocarepackage.org.

OperationIraqiChildren.org

As we have seen in the news, many American Soldiers have taken it upon themselves to reconstruct schools and gather learning tools for the Iraqi Children. Their efforts have been met with immense gratitude from the local Iraqis and their Children. "I have seen their smiling faces and their attempts to say 'I love you' in broken English…I saw hope in their eyes and gratitude in their hearts for what was done for them.", stated one soldier.

Operation Iraqi Children is a grassroots program to provide concerned Americans with the means to reach out to the Iraqi people and help support our soldiers' attempts to assist them. Inspired by their conversations with Operation Iraqi Freedom soldiers, as well as actor Gary Sinise's recent trip to the region, Sinise along with others founded Operation Iraqi Children, a grass roots program to provide concerned individuals with a means to reach out to Iraqi kids and help support our soldiers' efforts to assist the Iraqi people.

The Greater Michigan PMC is participating in one of two programs - the School Supplies Program. Through the School Supplies Program, American children, church groups, and other organizations can help Iraqis by gathering school supplies in local drives, then sending them to a military base in Iraq, where our soldiers will take them to Iraqi villages.

Greater Michigan PMCA Shares the MCAA Best Practices Award for the National Industry Website

The Greater Michigan Plumbing and Mechanical Contractors is proud to be one of the founding MCA Chapters awarded the MCAA's Best Practices Award at the recent MCAA Convention. Developing www.sciencepipeline.com a national industry website to educate the public about the plumbing and mechanical industry was a joint effort between seven other organizations, including PMC of Detroit. As reported in the February 2003 MPMCA Magazine, this educational website will serve as an outreach to science teachers, school counselors, students and parents. The website content and visual demonstrations are being developed by professionals retained by the involved MCA Executives. Their experience and knowledge are being used to develop a website that will be recognized as approved classroom curriculum for use by Science Teachers throughout the country.

HEAT's On Celebrates 13th Year of Assisting the Elderly

2003 marked the 13th consecutive year that the Greater Michigan PMC/MSCA and UA 190 - Plumbers / Pipefitters / Service Technicians have provided services to the public through the HEAT's ON Project (Handicapped and Elderly Assistance to Our Neighbors). Over 100 volunteers from the PMC, UA 190, local contractors and students worked to insure the welfare of citizens in both Washtenaw and Livingston Counties.

As in the past, the morning began with a breakfast for all participants to receive their assignments for the day. The breakfast gives new volunteers the opportunity to learn from the "Old Timers" what the day should hold, and how to most effectively deal with the participants. During the day, more than 60 homes were visited and furnaces cleaned, repaired and made ready for the upcoming heating season. As in every past year, there was the necessity to shut down and replace homeowner's furnaces. Volunteers also took smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and batteries to all the homes and installed them where necessary.

As in previous years, the program was held in
Co-operation with Livingston and Washtenaw County's Family Independence Agencies and
Neighborhood Senior Services.

Left - Going over additional repairs with FIA and PMC - Center - Cards and Recap of the Days Activity - Right - Hero of the day, Jason Nicholson, by mistake he got two packets - four calls, and completed them all alone!!

Secret Santa's

The PMC has participated for a number of years in the Secret Santa Program through the local Family Independence Agencies.

For the fourth year we have also helped a very special family that was having problems making Christmas the experience they wanted due to limited financial resources. They have nine children they've adopted after having them as their foster children. The majority of the children they have adopted are "special needs" children. We could think of nothing more important at this time of the year that we could do, that better exemplified the season than helping this special family

So, we made the decision to adopt them, again. Associates at our office shopped for specific presents with a little help from their children. We were more than happy to help Santa along with such a large number to provide for.

The Ann Arbor Student Building Industry Program celebrated its 33rd Year
with a Banquet last May at the Ann Arbor Sheraton Inn. The event was well attended with over 100 guests. The Banquet recognized the Class of 2003 Student Builders and the 2003 Scholarship recipients. Pat Durston, President, Ann Arbor Student Building Industry Program Board of Directors gave the welcoming remarks. Dr. Larry Whitworth, President, Washtenaw Community College was the Keynote Speaker for the event.

At the end of the 2003 school year, the Ann Arbor Student Building Industry Program completed its 33rd home. The program, which began with the assistance of the Greater Michigan Plumbing & Mechanical Contractors Association (PMC), has been one of PMC's most important programs for over 34 years.

The Student Building Industry Program is an important component of Greater Michigan PMC's Career Development Enterprise. From this early exposure to the construction industry, many of the students decide to continue their education in construction related disciplines.

The 2003 Scholarship Awards were presented to students for further study in a field associated with the construction industry and also for the architecture and design industry. Recipients of the 2003 Awards were:
Kimberly Gainsley - Henry S. Landau Scholarship Award
David Tefft - James O. Weldon Scholarship Award
Andrew Dresselhouse - Earl W. Shaffer Scholarship Award
Ryan Bennett - Merit Scholarship Award
Evan Wimberly - Excellence in Design Award

You can learn more about the Ann Arbor Student Building Industry Project by going to the website designed and sponsored by PMC: www.aastudentbuilding.com.

One of the organizations that we help each year is the Friends In Deed. We assist with the newsletter, printing it and other brochures and financially support their Bed Drive that is held annually around Christmas time. The drive provides new beds for families. Friends In Deed is a program we first became involved in through Mary Jean Zill, wife of Board Chairman Lloyd Zill, (pictured right) who was a long-time volunteer at the organization.

"When the barrier between a desperately ill child and medical treatment is distance . . . Miracle Flights for Kids makes the miles disappear."

This is the motto of Miracle Flights, an organization of private pilots who donate their time, aircraft and fuel to fly needy children to hospitals and medical centers. Along with private pilots, due to the tremendous distances traveled, many of the flights must now be booked on commercial airlines, at great financial cost. This is where organizations like ours can assist with donations of free miles on airlines, and monetary contributions. Miracle Flights for Kids honored the PMC for sponsoring the cost of transportation for an Alanson child to a specialized medical treatment facility in Ohio.

The Greater Michigan Plumbing & Mechanical Contractors Association (PMC) continues to be an active participant in community youth activities. Greater Michigan PMC is currently a Field Sponsor for the 2003 Dexter Little League. Our acknowledgment of sponsorship is on display at the field, which, along with our name, includes the names of the team players.
The Dexter Little League has over 120 kids, ages 8 - 11, participating on 8 baseball teams. The 2003 teams are the first official Little League for the Dexter area. One of the driving forces in the league is Henry Haley of Haley Mechanical, whose sons play in the league.
Greater Michigan PMC is always looking for ways to introduce school children to the mechanical and plumbing industry at younger ages. PMC sponsors the "Supplies for Students" program which donates materials to teachers and advertising in yearbooks, sporting programs and posters.
Another proven way to reach youth is to be visible in their programs. To that end, PMC is proud to be a 2003 Sponsor of sporting teams such as the Dexter Little League, the Ann Arbor Angels Baseball Club and the Fireballz American Youth Basketball Tour girl's team.
This type of team sponsorship and youth involvement has proven to be a good opportunity to put the thought of our industry in front of students at a very young age.

"Even if it's a little thing, do something for those who have need of a man's help, something for which you will get no pay but the privilege of doing it. For remember, you don't live in a world all your own. Your brothers are here too."
Albert Schweitzer

A major part of the mission of the Greater Michigan PMC is volunteerism. We view this as an integral part of the duties of our organization.

Volunteerism