For The Moorings resident Michelle Miller life is not so much about waiting for something to happen as it is getting out there and making something happen. Drawing upon her freelance entrepreneurial spirit, five years ago Michelle played off the success of a neighborhood women’s group and refashioned it into a group that both working men and women could join: Moorings Village. The group’s focus is to “create a better tomorrow for our children, to support each other and to have fun,” she said.
Moorings Village is part social activities scheduler, part welcome wagon with a heavy dose of service projects and fundraisers. While Michelle firmly believes in having good, clean fun activities for the kids (what kid or kid at heart wouldn’t love their Splash-Bash pool party every summer?), the heart of this group and Michelle really shines through in their fundraising activities.
One example is a current fundraiser for the Indiana Chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Compelled by a story she heard on the Smiley Radio Show about young Fishers resident Luke Butler, Michelle decided it was time to help make the dreams of other terminally-ill children come true. “When I heard about him,” Michelle said, “I cried like a baby. Many people in our neighborhood knew him and the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted his last wish. He died a short time later.”
After careful consideration, Michelle hit upon the “Flocking Flamingos” idea to raise money for Make-A-Wish Foundation. This lighthearted approach towards an otherwise serious issue appealed to her. “For a small monetary amount, a “flock” of flamingos will appear on the front lawn of a Moorings resident.
“It’s a way to raise money and have fun in the process,” she explains. “You fill out a form and along with a small donation, one of your neighbors will wake up to a dozen pink flamingos on their front lawn. They ‘roost’ there for a day or so, and afterwards, the flock migrates to another yard.” For those who would prefer the flamingos stay out of their yards, “Anti-Flocking Insurance” is also available.
Moorings Village has also just finished up the following projects: Operation Christmas Child, a project with Samaritan’s Purse that sends shoe boxes filled with toys and necessities to needy children around the world; Soles4Souls shoe drive; and a collection for the homeless to stock them up with supplies for the winter.
Moorings Village also keeps an eye on the pulse of the community and sends out calls for help, as they recently did to mobilize donations for a family who lost their house in a fire. With the holidays right around the corner, don’t look for the activities to slow down anytime soon.
Michelle wouldn’t be able to pull off all these activities without the help of scores of other neighbors and friends volunteering their time just as she does—and the financial help that the The Moorings HOA kicks in.
In her spare time, Michelle runs Marketing Mamma, a freelance marketing business for small business owners, an after-school daycare, and a Mary Kay business out of her home. She’s quick to point out that she couldn’t do all this without her “very supportive” husband Chip and their two kids, Katy Rose, 12, and Alex, 6.
Right now, she’s got her eyes firmly fixed on some pink flamingos. “It’s my wish that before the ground freezes to make a wish come true for a child,” she said.
If you are interested in flocking a resident of the Moorings—or in obtaining anti-flocking insurance—please email mooringsvillage@sbcglobal.net.
