Homegrown – Because of You. Lois still calls Northern Michigan home.
Lois Manville’s story will warm the hearts of each PVM Foundation donor. Thank you for caring about Lois. Enjoy her story.
Lois Manville from The Village of Hillside
Harbor Springs sits at the northern tip of Lower Michigan. Lois is a lifelong resident of the area (coming up on 90 years!). She never thought of living anywhere else.
Her life in Northern Michigan was going as planned. That’s until tragedy hit. Her husband passed suddenly at 35 years old. Sudden illness with limited warning signs – BAM! Her life changed forever.
“I was devastated, heartbroken, and very overwhelmed. I had five young children. What was I going to do? Could I survive, would I have to move?” recalls Lois. To support her family, Lois built a secretarial business from scratch. Her company provided just enough to raise her family and pay the bills. There was nothing left for her retirement.
When retirement age approached, Lois was faced with the harsh reality that living in a senior community in Northern Michigan was out of her financial reach.
Luckily there was one option. The Village of Hillside in Harbor Springs. “A ray of sunshine! I can still remember getting the call from the administrator. What a day!” Lois proclaimed.
Lois, center, surrounded by four of her five children.
One problem. Well a big problem. A portion of The Village of Hillside does not have elevators. “Climbing stairs with groceries or laundry was really tough, so tough,” Lois painfully remembers. She considered moving downstate.
Lois did something about it. She joined the Hillside Board of Directors. That led to a $1.7 million dollar fundraising campaign to support a rebuild of The Village of Hillside.
Success! Lois and her fellow residents have a new home (with an elevator!). Thank you donors, for stepping up to donate. Where would good people like Lois be without you? Not in Northern MI. Thank you for caring!
You can read more stories like Lois’ in our Your Giving Matters magazine. Click here to view online.
