Our monthly meetups have been an absolute blast this year, both to plan and to be a part of. We've learned so much together, from Setting the Standard for body and mind at Crossfit Justice with Rose Follick to Yoga in the beautiful new Milford Central Park with Carly McCaffery (Kish), Kitchen Confidential with Julie Hill-Lin and Chef Tom at Lei Ting Blue Pearl, to the most incredible presentations and hands on tutorials for our Canva Create Workshop and Brand Storytelling Meetup with our amazing Amanda Freeman.

We also got free headshots, brewed another incredible beer with Nicole Fitzmaurice, brewer at River’s Edge Brewing Co., and donated over 60 hours of volunteer work at Haven of Oakland, whose vital work empowers survivors to heal and rebuild — which is exactly why they are the recipient of tonight’s proceeds.

This year, we’ve showcased 20 Features, where we met so many incredible women and heard their inspiring stories. These features offer us a glimpse into the lives behind the businesses, helping us all appreciate each other and the hard work that goes into our ventures. I can’t wait to see even more Features next year because I genuinely believe that each of you is so interesting, valuable, and has so much to offer. Your story deserves to be told!

This year has been a  major success, and that success wouldn’t have been possible without every single one of you.

Having a community of women that supports one another is essential, and you all have shown incredible support for each other. I’ve seen the connections you’ve made and the friendships that have blossomed, and it’s truly heartwarming to witness.

I’m so glad we can close out our year with the Women In Milford Gala, because, like our meetups, it gives us a chance to connect with like-minded, hardworking, and supportive women in our community. It has been an honor to meet all of you, work with you, learn from you, and become friends with you.  You are all incredible women and I can’t wait to see what you do next.

This year, we’ve chosen to donate our time and effort to HAVEN in Pontiac, Michigan. HAVEN is the only agency in Oakland County that offers comprehensive, no-cost services for survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence—including emergency shelter, a 24/7 crisis line, counseling, advocacy and educational programming.

Over the course of the year, the women of Women In Milford rolled up their sleeves and spent hours cleaning HAVEN’s Art Room, Kitchen, Garage and Donation Room - meticulously organizing clothing and working with a lot of elbow grease on those pesky ovens. Each woman who came to volunteer left with a real sense of satisfaction, having done something tangible and meaningful. Special thanks to Diane Perry, who never missed an opportunity to join us and step in wherever help was needed

We’re proud to stand alongside HAVEN—supporting survivors, contributing to healing environments, and helping build the safe and hopeful community that every person deserves.

Thank you all, again, for showing up to celebrate this amazing community that you all have built for each other!

xo
Marie Kelly
Women In Milford