Vote to give $10K to a local charity

To celebrate Level One Bank's 10-year anniversary, they have committed to donating a thousand for every year of business to a local charity.

The winner, chosen by popular vote online and in banking centers, will be granted $10,000 for their nonprofit organization. 

Voting is open through Nov. 24 and the winner will be announced on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 28.

Five finalists have already been selected; Children With Hair Loss, Detroit Dog Rescue, Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County, Heaven and Kids' Food Basket. Read more about them and how they plan to use the funds, then cast your vote. 

Children With Hair Loss 

The nonprofit organization provides human hair replacements to children and young adults facing medically-related hair loss. Since their beginning in 2000, they have helped 3,800 children across the country. 

A child’s hair is lost due to cancer treatments, alopecia, trichotillomania, burns, or other reason can be helped for free with Children With Hair Loss instead of paying the normal amount of $5,000. 

They plan to use the $10,000 to continue their efforts and provide an additional ten children with hair replacements. 

Detroit Dog Rescue 

In 2011, Detroit Dog Rescue was created by a small group of caring individuals determined to save Detroit’s dogs and help the residents that live in the city. They provide free spay, neutering and access to affordable veterinary care.

In 2014, Detroit Dog Rescue opened a physical location on the East Side of Detroit and became Detroit’s first and only no-kill shelter.

They plan to use the money to sustain a medical program for animals that are victims of violent crimes.The funding would be used to secure surgeries, acute care and rehabilitation. "Additionally, this will create the ability to serve the public with pop-up vaccination clinics in 2018 to help keep pets out of shelters," the company stated. 

Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County

Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County was founded in 1995 building homes at a low cost to provide a hand up for families that would not qualify for a conventional mortgage. Since their start, they have provided homes for 300 people. 

Habitat Oakland County plans to use the money to continue building homes in addition to relying on their annual contributions from corporations. 

Heaven

Oakland County’s only comprehensive program for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, providing a 24/7 crisis line, emergency shelter, medical forensic exams, counseling, court advocacy and prevention education to over 30,000 people each year in Oakland County and surrounding areas. 

"If we are selected, the generous gift would be used to bring joy to the children at HAVEN," according to the website. "Grant funding for our children’s programming is scarce so we rely on individual contributions, gifts from foundations and local businesses to support our work in providing safety, security and normalcy to children of survivors or children who are direct victims of sexual violence."

Kids' Food Basket To Vote

In 2001, a Grand Rapids Public School principal witnessed some of her students digging through the trash for food to take home for dinner. She started Kids’ Food Basket by serving 125 kids every weekday at three schools through our Sack Supper program. 

The nonprofit plans to use the funds to continue their efforts in reducing the number of food insecure children in west Michigan, which is 47,000. 

To Vote

To cast your vote once a day visit: www.LevelOneBank10KProject

For more information on the finalists: https://www.levelonebank.com/10KProject

srahal@detroitnews.com