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Honoring the Heart of Philanthropy: Celebrating the Distinguished Volunteers at AFP Greater Detroit’s National Philanthropy Day

On November 13, 2025, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) of Greater Detroit gathered the philanthropic community for one of the nation’s largest local celebrations of National Philanthropy Day. At the heart of the evening was a clear focus: honoring the volunteers whose time, leadership, and commitment quietly power nonprofit work across Metro Detroit.

Volunteers are often the unseen force behind progress. They serve on boards and committees, mentor emerging professionals, support events, and lend their expertise wherever it’s needed most. National Philanthropy Day offered AFP Greater Detroit an opportunity to pause and recognize those individuals who consistently show up, not for recognition, but because they believe in the mission.

Throughout the celebration, AFP Greater Detroit highlighted the impact of its Distinguished Volunteers, individuals who help guide the chapter’s direction and strengthen its role as a resource for the fundraising community. Their contributions go far beyond hours logged. They help shape programming, support ethical standards, welcome new members, and create spaces where learning and connection can thrive.

The evening also underscored how volunteer leadership fuels long-term growth within the sector. Many of AFP Greater Detroit’s initiatives, including education programs and mentorship opportunities, rely on volunteers willing to share their experience and insight. These efforts ensure that knowledge is passed forward and that the next generation of fundraising professionals is supported from the start.

By centering volunteers in this year’s National Philanthropy Day celebration, AFP Greater Detroit reinforced an important truth: philanthropy is not sustained by organizations alone. It is sustained by people who choose to give their time and talents in service of something bigger than themselves.

In Metro Detroit, that spirit of volunteerism is strong. And on November 13th, it was not only acknowledged, but deeply appreciated.

Spreading Kindness in Action: Bobby and Danielle’s Story Behind the Red Nose Ruckus 2025 Resilience Hero Award

Some stories don’t stay on the page. They grow legs, find a voice, and turn into something lived. That’s the heart of the Red Nose Ruckus 2025 Resilience Hero Award and the reason Bobby Hoffman and Danielle Robinson’s story resonates far beyond a single moment of recognition. Their journey shows what happens when compassion stops being an idea and becomes a daily practice, rooted in family, community, and the belief that kindness can change lives.

For Bobby, that belief began during a long career in journalism. For more than three decades, Bobby told stories about people doing meaningful work. Leaders, nonprofits, and everyday individuals were all part of the narrative. Over time, something shifted. Telling the story was no longer enough. The work became personal, and the mission moved from observation to participation.

That transition became clear through Bobby’s connection to Child and Family Charities, an organization that approaches youth support through a wider lens. Instead of focusing only on children in crisis, the organization supports entire family systems, including parents, foster parents, guardians, and siblings. That philosophy stood out immediately.

Helping families holistically creates stability that lasts. When parents and caregivers are supported alongside youth, the outcomes are stronger, more sustainable, and more human. It is a reminder that resilience does not exist in isolation. It is built in community.

When Danielle joined Jackson, that mindset carried into the corporate world. What began as a role quickly became an opportunity to build something new. Jackson’s first-ever corporate giving program was created to focus not just on donations, but on connection. Employees were given meaningful ways to contribute their time, talent, and resources to causes they cared about, while aligning the company’s values with real community impact.

The turning point came when Danielle met the families served by Child and Family Charities. Impact became tangible. Names replaced statistics. Faces replaced abstract need. That moment, seeing firsthand what support can do, cemented a long-term commitment.

That commitment helped bring Jackson House to life. When Child and Family Charities identified a growing need to expand Gateway, a program supporting youth experiencing homelessness, Jackson stepped in. What followed was a powerful example of collective generosity. Hundreds of Jackson employees contributed personally, and the company matched every dollar. Together, they fully underwrote the project.

Jackson House is more than a building. It represents what happens when individuals, organizations, and leadership align around a shared purpose. Through Gateway, youth experiencing homelessness gain access to shelter, stability, and resources that help them move forward, not just survive.

In 2009, inspired by years of nonprofit involvement, Bobby founded ePIFanyNow, a movement built on a simple and powerful idea. Anyone can have an epiphany at any moment and choose to do something good for someone else, right now.

ePIFanyNow focuses on action over perfection. It encourages giving time, sharing resources, and using personal talents. The goal is to create moments of kindness that ripple outward, whether through spontaneous generosity or organized service. From community cleanups to handwritten notes, each act matters.

At its core, the kindness movement reinforces a truth Bobby and Danielle have lived. Giving back does not just change the lives of others. It changes you. Joy grows through involvement. Purpose deepens through service. Hearts expand when people step outside themselves.

That message is central to why the Red Nose Ruckus 2025 Resilience Hero Award matters. It is not about spotlighting grand gestures alone. It is about honoring people who consistently choose compassion, build systems of support, and inspire others to act at home, at work, and in their communities.

Bobby and Danielle’s story reminds us that kindness does not require a title, a platform, or a perfect plan. It starts with awareness. It grows with action. It continues when people commit to doing something small and meaningful, again and again. Impact multiplies when people lead with heart. Supporting families strengthens communities. Combining individual and corporate generosity creates lasting change. Resilience grows wherever kindness is practiced consistently.

In the end, the lesson is simple. Look inside, find what inspires you, and act. The next epiphany does not belong to someone else. It belongs to anyone willing to step forward.

Because real change does not wait. It starts now, one act of kindness at a time.

Behind the Scenes at MSU: The Grounds Crew Shaping the Everyday Spartan Experience

At first glance, Michigan State University feels effortless. Tree-lined walkways, manicured lawns, colorful flowerbeds, clear sidewalks, and smooth traffic flow all blend together into a campus that feels welcoming and alive. But behind that polished experience is a massive, coordinated effort happening every single day—often before sunrise and long after most lights turn off.
With more than 20,000 trees, miles of sidewalks and roads, athletic fields, gardens, parking areas, and even championship golf courses, maintaining MSU’s park-like campus is no small task. It’s the responsibility of the MSU Landscape Services team—a group of more than 100 dedicated professionals who protect, build, and maintain the spaces where Spartan life unfolds.
And as it turns out, it’s about much more than grass and mulch.
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One Campus, Thirteen Specialized Crews
Landscape Services at MSU operates like a small city. Thirteen specialized crews work together daily, each with a unique role but a shared mission: support the campus experience.
From gardeners and arborists to site construction teams, hard surface specialists, mechanics, golf course operators, and snow removal crews, every group brings expertise to the table. When major events or emergencies hit—like severe storms—those divisions blur, and everyone jumps in where needed.
It’s a system built on teamwork, trust, and pride. More than coworkers, the crew functions like a family—one that knows the campus inside and out.
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Gardening With Purpose and Precision
The largest group within Landscape Services is the gardening unit, responsible for the color, texture, and seasonal beauty seen across campus. Each year, they plant roughly 10,000 summer annuals, thousands of bulbs and pansies in the spring, and more than 1,500 mums in the fall.
But this isn’t about planting flowers and hoping for the best. It’s a carefully planned rotation that ensures MSU always has something blooming, no matter the season. From early spring pansies to fall’s signature mums, the campus color palette evolves alongside the academic calendar—quietly shaping how students and visitors feel as they move through the space.
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Smart Irrigation, Athletics, and Robotic Mowers
Keeping that landscape healthy takes more than visual planning—it requires infrastructure. MSU operates over 28 irrigation systems to support lawns, gardens, and athletic fields, while also maintaining turf for intramural sports and recreation.
One of the most forward-thinking developments? Autonomous mowers.
In partnership with the MSU School of Engineering, the grounds team now uses robotic mowers on approximately seven acres of campus turf. These machines reduce labor demands, lower emissions, and keep high-use areas consistently maintained—freeing staff to focus on other critical tasks.
It’s innovation rooted in practicality, and a glimpse at the future of groundskeeping.
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Mulch, Trees, and a Sustainable Cycle
Mulch may seem simple, but at MSU it tells a larger sustainability story. Each year, 5,000 to 6,000 cubic yards of mulch are created through an on-campus process. When trees must be removed due to disease or storm damage, arborists grind the wood—twice—into high-quality hardwood mulch that’s reused across campus.
That same team of seven arborists cares for more than 20,000 trees, inspecting health, pruning for safety, responding to storm damage, and planting replacements whenever removals are necessary. The goal is clear: protect the canopy today while preserving it for future Spartans.
After major storms, crews often work through the night to clear sidewalks and roads, ensuring safety and minimizing disruption. It’s quiet work—but critical work.
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Infrastructure, Events, and Everyday Function
Beyond plants and trees, the site construction and hard surface teams handle the infrastructure students rely on daily. From new landscape installations to renovations, signage, parking lots, and traffic flow, their work ensures campus remains navigable and accessible.
For football games and large events, these teams manage cones, barriers, and temporary signage—then remove everything and reset the campus afterward. Behind every smooth game day is hours of planning and physical setup most people never see.
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A Living Classroom and Winter Readiness
MSU’s 36 holes of championship golf serve as a living classroom for turf and horticulture students, offering hands-on experience that bridges academics and real-world careers.
When winter arrives, the focus shifts. From November through April, snow removal crews remain on call 24/7, prioritizing roads, sidewalks, and accessible routes. Working closely with the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities, the team ensures pathways remain safe and usable for everyone.
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Technology, Ecology, and the Bigger Picture
Technology plays a growing role in how the team operates. GPS-enabled equipment, ArcGIS Field Maps, and a $6 million fleet maintained by in-house mechanics help track work, streamline tasks, and manage such a massive campus efficiently.
At the same time, MSU is rethinking tradition. By converting 22 acres of turf into pollinator habitats and wildflower meadows, the grounds team is reducing emissions, cutting costs, and supporting biodiversity—proving sustainability and beauty can coexist.
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The People Who Make It Feel Like Home
At the heart of it all are the people. More than 100 employees show up every day—not just to maintain a campus, but to support an experience. They’re there early, stay late, respond fast, and innovate constantly.
Their work turns buildings into places, paths into connections, and a university into a home.
Next time you admire a flowerbed, find shade under a towering tree, or navigate campus with ease, remember: it’s not accidental. It’s the result of dedication, collaboration, and a crew working behind the scenes—every day—for the Spartan community.