House Manager Report
September 13, 2023

1. Client Statistics
We served 514 households in August, 906 adults and 940 children. This is 96 households more than we served in July. In August we had 161 new clients. We averaged 22 households a day in August and 23 households a day in July.

2. Volunteers
We have 46 regular volunteers.

3. Donation Status
Our current needs are:
 Pots and pans
Small household appliances; microwaves, toasters, coffee pots, blenders, and fans
Blankets/comforters (all sizes)
Towels and washcloths
Athletic shoes, both men’s and women’s
Can openers
Underwear, preferably new, both men’s and women’s, small and plus sizes
Pajamas; men’s and women’s
Men’s jeans
Vacuum cleaners

4. Business/Community Contacts
The University of Michigan Health Department and Michigan Medicine recently concluded a drive for school supplies including backpacks, toiletries, socks, underwear, menstrual products, personal care products, and general school supplies. On Tuesday September 12, they dropped a car-load of those items at the House.

5. Community Outreach
On September 2nd students from the Saline High School Key Club volunteered with us again. They did a good job folding bed sheets that had been donated.

6. Facility Status
State Street Enterprises LLC, our landlord, is renting parking places for Michigan football games at 2051 South State Street again this season. Five electrical outlets
were installed to accommodate large recreational vehicles. Those outlets are connected to a garage on the property whose electrical service is billed to SSE LLC.

Our State of Michigan elevator certification expired August 26, 2019. On December 6, 2022, Kone Elevator performed a no-load elevator test with no issues discovered. We were told, by the Kone Elevator people who did the test, to expect an updated certificate but have not received one.

7. Safety Issues
None

8. Incidents
None

9. Areas that need attention
Some clients do not check out. We hope to increase the efficiency of our check-in and check-out procedures, reducing the length of lines at both stations. We are considering purchasing tablets to make check-out easier. We are also considering eliminating some of the questions we ask at check-in.

10. Client Stories
A client came to the House by bus because his truck had been impounded. He lost his driver’s license because he has too many moving violations. He was driving his truck to and from work in Detroit. Now that he can’t drive, he can’t get to that job. He put up signs asking people to hire him as a handyman, painter, or landscaper. We were able to provide a bike for him, in excellent condition, that had been donated. He was very happy to get the bike.

This week we had a client, her family, and sister who just came from Columbia. She arrived 3 days before and had only the clothes she was wearing. She was happy to get clothes and household items for herself and her family.

11. Overall Appearance and Organization
The overall store area is looking well.


​Submitted by Gemaya Griffin, House Manager