By Don Rush

Wildcat Remembrance Day is Nov. 30. The folks at the All For Oxford Resiliency Center are expecting a higher number of visitors seeking support as the one year anniversary of the Oxford High School shooting nears, Nov. 30.

That week the Center will offer free meals for student comfort and support – and that includes eating.

All For Oxford opened this past September, is managed by Common Ground and funded by the State of Michigan through a grant by the Federal Anti-terrorism and Emergency Assistance Program. The creation of All For Oxford was guided by the Oxford community, for the Oxford community. “Our center is devoted to promoting mental and emotional well-being by providing opportunities for people to come together, find support, restore the community’s sense of safety and security, and help each other heal. All services at All For Oxford are free of charge,” the center’s Administrative Lead Susan Mingay said in a past Leader article.

Anyone who is struggling in the aftermath of the Oxford shooting can come to the center for help and community connection. “We will never be judgmental about any individual’s personal experience, connection to the shooting, or their process of healing. We will meet each person where they are with the understanding that we all have unique reactions to traumatic events, heal at our own pace, and that healing can take many years,” she said.

According to staff, their grant doesn’t cover meals, so they are reaching out to the community for support. In an email from the Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce sent last week, the center stated it is looking for donations to serve meals all week: 40 lunches and dinners on Monday, Nov. 28 and Tuesday, Nov. 29; on the 30^th, they are looking to serve 40 breakfasts, 60 lunches and dinners; on Friday, Dec. 1, they hope to serve 40 lunches and dinners.

The center is also looking for donations of 500 napkins, heavy-duty paper plates, coffee cups with lids, and plastic utensils (forks, spoons, knives) as well as 300 heavy-duty paper bowls, and 200 individual tissue packets.

Staff at the center also said they are accepting donations to help cover the cost of the “thousands” of luminaries they will be handing out for Wildcat Remembrance Day.

The center is located at 1370 S. Lapeer Road, Oxford. For more information call 248-653-5511.