Donor-advised funds: Another way to benefit Outreach while reducing your tax burden by Jo Mayer and Paul Crandall In June’s column, we explained the pros and cons of qualified charitable distributions (QCDs), noting one big limitation: QCDs can only be used by those over 70.5 years old. This column explains an alternative—called donor-advised funds (DAFs)—which […]

by Jo Mayer and Paul Crandall Almost 10 years since its inception, the annual “Christmas in July” matching donation drive is still going strong at Stockbridge Community Outreach. Beginning as a fundraising program exclusively financed out of the pockets of Outreach board members, the effort has grown from a match of $3,000 In 2017 to […]

Donations to Outreach can help seniors minimize tax repercussions by Jo Mayer and Paul Crandall Thinking of making a donation to Stockbridge Community Outreach?  First, thank you, and before you write that check, consider your options. A variety of vehicles exist that can make your contribution both easy and effective.  One example is a “QCD” […]

by Jo Mayer and Paul Crandall “We tried it, they liked it, so we’re doing it again!”  –Cindy Ashley, Outreach pantry coordinator In 2025, Outreach piloted a monthly cooking program for five months, inviting 30 regular Outreach pantry shoppers to join this Recipe-of-the-Month cooking club—now fondly referred to as “Meal of the Month.” The effort […]

Outreach is even cooler thanks to grant from multiple Michigan entities by Jo Mayer and Paul Crandall Stockbridge Community Outreach is rather like a revolving door—donations of food, money, clothing and household goods tend to circle in and then right out again, sometimes within minutes. But one recent donation will be sticking around for a […]

New bipartisan legislation introduced in Michigan to address water affordability and access by Jo Mayer and Paul Crandall “I can’t afford to keep my house.” Heartbreaking words, spoken by a client to Gwen Reid, Stockbridge Community Outreach director, in early November as the client faced elevated water and heating bills, along with a rise in […]

I spy homes for used books by Jo Mayer and Paul Crandall Books are the plane, and the train, and the road.They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.                   —Anna Quindlen, “How Reading Changed My Life” Indeed, books do provide a kind of home for many readers. And after turning that final […]