Saline Area Social Service Announces Plans to Relocate
SALINE, Michigan, March 30th, 2022 – Saline Area Social Service (SASS) announced today that it has purchased a new facility and plans to relocate its services to its new home of Saline’s east side in the coming months.
“The Board of Directors sees this as an essential move to serve our neighbors in need for years to come. We have been careful to understand the community’s needs and how we can be responsive, while also being cost-effective and good stewards of our donors’ amazing generosity,” said Roger (Mike) Raham, Chair of the Saline Area Social Service Board of Directors.
Established by the community in 1961, SASS provides groceries and household essentials, programs that support quality of life for students and seniors, holiday aid, referrals, and limited emergency assistance. Currently at 224 W. Michigan Avenue in downtown Saline, SASS uses every inch of the two-story house and basement for storage, including bathrooms, hallways, offices, kitchen, garage, under staircases, and outdoor porches.
“Space has become limited as the organization has grown,” said Anne Cummings, SASS Executive Director. “Our clients haven’t been able to enter the pantry to meet with staff or do their own shopping for over two years. The new facility will be larger, more efficient with operations all on one floor, and most importantly, it will allow us to invite our clients back into the facility to shop for themselves and have the warm, inviting customer experience that we were able to offer prior to the COVID pandemic,” said Cummings. “We are excited for this opportunity to improve our ability to fulfill our mission to serve.”
SASS will transition its operations in the coming months to the newly purchased building in Wood Duck Park, 1259 Industrial, Saline. The location is near Saline High School, Emagine Theater, Walmart, and other businesses. Details regarding client access and donations will be announced in the coming weeks.
A fundraising campaign is underway to fund the purchase of this new facility. SASS is currently in the Quiet Phase of this campaign, with initial efforts focused on large, leadership gifts. The SASS board has committed over $100,000 in personal contributions, and commitments have been made by other local individuals and organizations, including the Mullick Foundation and the Towsley Foundation, each making a $50,000 gift. More information on fundraising will be released at a later time.
About Saline Area Social Service
Saline Area Social Service (SASS) is a private, tax-exempt non-profit organization that has been in the community for over 60 years and serves the most vulnerable students, families and senior citizens that live in and around the Saline area. SASS’s mission is to provide our short- and long-term aid, directly and through referrals, to its participants in need. For more information, visit salineareasocialservice.com.
Website: salineareasocialservice.com Phone: (734) 429-4570 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SalineAreaSocialService
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