Terry Reuer

There are some really special people who work here at Newcomers Welcome Service. All of our representatives work hard to bring a little comfort to people who have just moved to town. I feel honored to have the opportunity to work with them.

One of those special people is Gretchen Farah. Many of the Realtors here in Ann Arbor, Michigan know and respect Gretchen. She worked for the business for 5 years, owned it for 23 years, sold the business 2 years ago, but continues to be a representative. She is the prototypical "Welcome Lady".

She has lots of stories to tell about her experiences with helping new folks get settled in. This is the story she says really sums up why she has been involved with Newcomers Welcome Service for so many years.

Several years ago, Gretchen visited the wife of the General Counsel for the University of Michigan. The lady had moved from out of state, didn't know anyone in the area, and was feeling at loose ends. Gretchen brought her a Welcome Packet with lots of material about Ann Arbor and the surrounding area, gifts from local businesses, and information about services. The Newcomer was very enthusiastic about the packet and at the end of the visit simply said, "Thank you. You've given me back my life."

Don't forget, if you close a house for, or know, someone who is new to the area you can call us to arrange a Welcome Packet for them.

We serve Ann Arbor, Canton, Chelsea, Dexter, Plymouth, Saline, and Ypsilanti, MI. Everywhere else, watch we may be coming to your area soon!

When was the last time you went to a photographer and had a family portrait taken? Or, a picture of yourself?

I've been thinking about this because my husband's parents passed away (within 3 months of each other) this year. Last week the family gathered and looked through the family pictures. Lots of laughter and tears as we looked through the snapshots and talked about experiences, so many happy memories, so many stories. Everyone commented on the wonderful collection of portraits that my in-laws had accumulated. These portraits, laid out in order from their childhood years all the way through late life, told a beautiful story. One that the whole family will cherish.

Of course, portraiture has changed over the years. The old portraits looked very stiff and formal. Today, great photographers take a much more creative approach to portraits. Take a look at these examples provided by Betsy's Photography of Dexter, Michigan and you will see what I mean.

Family portraits can provide a legacy for later generations and individual portraits have many professional uses. It is a good idea to update your professional portrait regularly to reflect your current appearance.

I find it very disconcerting to see a professional photo that looks very young and then meet the person and find out they have gray hair!

If you live in Southeast Michigan give Betsy a call. She was named 2008 Photographer of the Year by the Professional Photographers of America, and Top 7 Photographer of 2008 by the Professional Photographers of Michigan. Her wedding and portrait photographs have received recognition both locally and nationally. Betsy Finn is more than just an award-winning photographer, she is an artist - creativity and care for detail are in her nature. Betsy is the only Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) in the Dexter-Ann Arbor area who offers wedding and portrait services with a creative, personalized, and timeless style.

Betsy's Photography**734-418-2089**Dexter, Michigan (just outside Ann Arbor)

http://betsysphotography.com/

Betsy's Photography sponsors the Newcomers Welcome Service Welcome Packet in Washtenaw County Michigan.

How do you decide where you are going to do business? With a multitude of choices, what makes you choose one business over another? Personally, I choose businesses that give back to my community. That makes me feel like my money is going a little farther. The same measure factors in to which businesses Newcomers Welcome Service chooses to partner with as Sponsors of our Welcome Packet. This is one of my favorite places to shop and a great Sponsor of our wonderful Welcome Packet!

For good wine, fabulous cheese, great deli meats, really interesting specialty groceries, top notch customer service, and expert advice that you can trust, you should check out Morgan and York. Talk about a company that gives back, here is a partial list of the organizations and groups that Morgan and York have donated product or services for fundraisers in the last few months!

►Peter Sparling Dance Company ►826 Michigan ►Association for Community Advocacy ►Friends in Deed ►Women's Center of SE Michigan ►Junior League of Ann Arbor ►American Society for Suicide Prevention ►Hadassah ►Mr.B's Blues and Boogie Woogie Piano Celebration ►Ann Arbor Summer Fest ►Ecology Center ►Men's Choral Society ►Neutral Zone ►Washtenaw Area Council for Children ►Packard Community Clinic ►Abbot School ►Ann Arbor Open School ►Pioneer High School ►Smith - Lemli -Opitz / RSH Foundation ►Ann Arbor Hospice ►Huron River Watershed Council ►Michigan League of Conservation Voters ►Downe Syndrome Support Group ►Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living ►Sphinx Competition

If you live in or visit Ann Arbor, or the surrounding area, I recommend that you stop by the store which is located at 1928 Packard. Anyone who has been hanging around Ann Arbor for more than a few years will remember the store as Big Ten, Morgan and York has retained the landmark sign from Big Ten.

If you can't visit them in person, visit their website www.morganandyork.com because they do ship. Product information and ordering instructions are on their website.

When you spend your money with this business you help support many local organizations! I'd like to thank the owners Matt and Tommy.

Our Welcome Representatives are some of the most caring people that you will ever find. Every day I feel honored by the opportunity to work with them. They love their communities, the businesses that sponsor our Welcome Packets, and the Realtors and others who help us reach out to new folks. Here is a story from Bev, our Representative in the North part of Ann Arbor, about a visit she recently went on. You can see that our Reps go the extra mile to help their new neighbors....

"I visited and delivered a welcome packet to a woman who is from Brazil. Her parents had been living in Louisiana, their home became a Hurricane Katrina victim, and they relocated to Detroit. The parents were struggling so the daughter packed up and moved here from Brazil to help her parents. She found a position with the University of Michigan and they moved to Ann Arbor. Other than her parents, the daughter didn't know anyone from the area and was homesick for Brazil. It happens that I have a friend who is from Brazil so I introduced the two of them. They immediately began to chatter in Portuguese, there was a lot of laughter. These two women have become good friend and I gained a new friend in the process. It's a great perk of being a Welcome Representative!"

When we visit new people moving into our neighborhood we deliver a Welcome Packet that includes lots of gifts from the locally owned businesses that sponsor us. Sponsorship is a very special designation. Newcomers Welcome Service Sponsors are businesses that have strong financial and social ties to the community. We are proud to be associated with each and every one of our Sponsors. Here is an example of why we feel this pride.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This is an issue that touches many of us; do you know anyone who has escaped an abusive relationship? I do. Of course, not all victims are fortunate enough to escape.

Here in Ann Arbor, Safe House Center is our shelter for domestic violence victims. One of our sponsors, arborMotion, is launching a campaign to help support Safe House Center.

This is how their campaign works. Beginning September 17, 2008 you can bring to arborMotion a donation, of at least $25, made payable to Safe House Center. The first 300 people to bring in their donations will receive free- an oil change, a pre-winter safety inspection, and a car wash.

Please join me in helping arborMotion support this very worthy cause. And, think of them when you have automotive related needs. arborMotion is a local company with a heart of gold.

arborMotion, www.arbormotion.com, 669 State Circle, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, 734-761-1088

Safe House Center, www.safehousecenter.org, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 24/7 HelpLine: (734) 995-5444, Business Line: (734) 973-0242