With spring right around the corner, Addison Township officials are encouraging residents to help their neighbors through Christmas in Action (CIA) of Oakland County following a $50,000 donation which was made recently to the program.

The donation was made by the estate of Metamora resident Jim Guy, who passed away in January 2017. He was the brother of Addison Township resident Maxine Louwaert, who said it came as no surprise to her that Guy wanted to give back to the community through CIA Oakland County.

“Jim would always make sure people had things. If they were working and striving, he would no doubt give a hand,” Louwaert said.

Christmas in Action is a nonprofit agency that partners with the community to repair the homes of both low-income seniors and those who are disabled. In addition to home repair projects, it also holds “Rake-N-Runs” for seniors, which involves cleaning up yards, as well as landscaping.

Addison Township has been participating in the program for nearly a decade.

Supervisor Bruce Pearson said during a Jan. 16 board meeting that he is hoping Addison Township residents will help identify neighbors who could benefit from the program.

CIA Oakland County covers Oakland, Orion, Oxford and Addison Townships.

Pearson, who also serves on the CIA Oakland County board, said the donation will go to any residents within these townships who are in need.

“If you know of any seniors that are low income, in need house repairs or whose yards are not in complete order, please let me know because it’s all free of charge for them,” said Pearson. “We get (several hundred) volunteers and we do it all in one day… We do Rake-N-Runs, where we rake the whole yard and bring flowers in there. We’ll do about 20-30 houses on a given day. I’m looking for some good use for this money because as you know, we get the materials for a really good price.”

To qualify for assistance through CIA Oakland County, seniors must reside within northern Oakland County. They must be at least 62 years old, own their home, be current on their property taxes, have homeowner’s insurance, and income that does not exceed 150 percent of the Federal Poverty level. Services through CIA Oakland are also potentially available to disabled homeowners.

Addison Township residents who would like to recommend a neighbor to receive assistance from Christmas in Action are asked to contact Pearson at (248) 628-5409.