Final Year-End Help Needed for Military and Veteran Support

By Tom Lang

Whether by financial help or stepping up to volunteer, the Michigan Freedom Center needs support to continue serving active military personnel and our U.S. Veterans and their families.

It’s often the little things – or in this case the ‘little ones’ – that matter the most to the military and veteran guests served at the Michigan Freedom Center, a military lounge for travelers passing through Detroit Metro Airport every day.

In early December, a woman and her child came to the MI Freedom Center at the North Terminal. She stopped by carrying her crying infant, papoose style. As this soldier was trying to retrieve her military ID, as well as a baby bottle for the little one, her baby fussed even more. It was at that moment, one of our dedicated volunteers jumped into compassion mode and held and cuddled the baby to the point of smiles and coos. This tender moment allowed for the military mother to get her things organized, along with a much-needed break, while traveling at an unfamiliar airport.

Doing the little things to say ‘thank you’ to our U.S. active duty and military Veterans is a core mission of the MI Freedom Center. The Centers, with additional locations at the Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS) in Lansing and Troy, have been a quiet respite and refreshment stop for more than 700,000 active military and Veteran guests since the first Center opened at the Delta/McNamara terminal on Veteran’s Day, 2011. The airport lounges specifically have recliners, free Wifi, drinks, snacks and other amenities to soothe travel difficulties. The small staff and gracious volunteers do their best to be the hands and feet of compassion for our military on behalf of the donors who keep the Centers afloat.

As 2020 ends and the new year begins, the MI Freedom Center is calling on the general public to become one of those volunteers, or a financial supporter that allows for the service work to continue. It is no surprise that Covid 19 basically shutting down airline travel has had a hard effect on the MI Freedom Center’s ability to carry out the duty of “Serving those who first served us.”

You can help in a specific way with a year-end donation that will be matched by Masco Corp. There are only a few days remaining in this 2020 matching gifts program, but help at any time of the year is always welcomed at www.MIFreedomCenter.org.