A disabled Vietnam veteran and an organization whose founder just returned from mission work in Honduras are among the recipients of Oakland County Casual Day funds this holiday season. A total of 15 charitable organizations and the veteran shared $29,000 donated by county employees on casual days throughout the year. County Executive L. Brooks Patterson distributed the checks during a news conference today.
According to the press release, another $8,000 was given to other organizations or individuals during the course of 2014.
“That’s $37,000 worth of generosity from Oakland County employees who have donated money this year to help out those in need through our Casual Day program,” Patterson said. “For more than two decades, Oakland County employees have impacted thousands of people through their donations.” 
County staff will privately deliver a $1,000 check to a disabled Vietnam veteran who reached out to Mr. Patterson to help him find funds to repair a failing septic system that potentially would have driven the veteran and his family from their home. After the county’s Community & Home Improvement and Veterans’ Services divisions succeeded in finding grants to aid with the $25,000 septic repair, Patterson donated $1,000 in Casual Day funds to the veteran, who wishes to remain anonymous, for Christmas.
This year’s recipients include:
- The American Diabetes Association – Bingham Farms
- The Baldwin Center – Pontiac
- The Child Abuse and Neglect Council (CARE House) – Pontiac
- The D-MAN Foundation – Rochester Hills
- The Donate Life Coalition of Michigan – Ann Arbor
- Give-A-Christmas Year Around – Royal Oak
- Grace Centers of Hope – Pontiac
- HAVEN – Bingham Farms
- Helping Hearts Helping Hands, whose founder Erica Cale returned just this week from mission work in Honduras – Clarkston
- Kids Kicking Cancer – Detroit
- McLaren Children’s Clinic – Pontiac
- Oxford/Orion FISH – Orion Township
- The Rainbow Connection – Rochester
- Rebuilding Together Oakland County – Farmington Hills
- Walk the Line to Spinal Cord Injury Recovery – Southfield
Oakland County’s Casual Day program allows employees in participating departments and divisions to wear jeans or dress casually on Thursdays or Fridays for a minimum donation of $1. Since its inception 22 years ago, Oakland County employees have donated well over $700,000 dollars, touching the lives of thousands of people. No taxpayer funds are used in the Casual Day program.
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