A maintenance man's work is never done. "It's just the way it is," says Dave Wilson, Property Manager for Pioneer Resources, and supervisor to three maintenance technicians (pictured above) L-R Dan Wiener, Dave Wilson, Mike Miesch. Karl DeWitt (not pictured) is available to help with the maintenance requests during the off-season of Pioneer Trails, a camp that he manages for Pioneer Resources. Dan and Mike both agree that having Karl really helps with the work load.
Dave's day starts at 7:00 a.m., and everyone else stagger-starts. The maintenance team receives their daily assignments from Dave every morning after he inputs them into a computer database. Dave receives the maintenance requests from the Supervisors and their staff. "It's hard to schedule the guy's time sometimes," says Dave. "The tricky part is that one day we will have a request to change a light bulb, and the next day there will be a request to re-plumb something. About every third request is to fix a toilet."
Mike said, "Sometimes a job can be a real challenge. You check it all out and find you don't have what you need to fix it, so the job is delayed. But the maintenance requests don't stop just because you have to return to that job the next day after you get the right parts."
The maintenance team not only gets daily maintenance requests, they also have a list of chores that need to be completed as the season's change. "We'll get a maintenance request to change a keylock, but there never is one for the routine jobs, like changing air conditioning filters in the spring, and fixing the holes that the woodpecker at Pioneer House makes in the siding every summer."
There are yearly inspections on the Group Homes and other properties by the city, fire department, HUD, and MSHDA. "A failing score is 60 out of 100. We have always been 90 or above," said Dave.
When asked about what was the weirdest job they ever had, Mike remembered an over-flowing toilet that refused to be fixed. "No matter what I did, it just kept on overflowing. So the roto-rooter man was called, and we eventually disconnected the whole toilet from the floor." They found a spring from the toilet paper holder blocking the hole in the floor.
It's always something," Dave said. If it's not woodpeckers attacking Pioneer House, it's Marcoux Home calling us to get rid of skunks under their shed. And everyone calls to get rid of the bugs, hornets and ants."
Recently the maintenance team has been called upon to help with maintenance chores for seniors in the Muskegon area. "The Arc received a grant to help seniors with the odd job that needs to be done in their home," said Dave. They asked us if we could help out, and of course, we said yes."
"Someone is on-call 24 hours a-day and available 365 days a year. "But we help each other," said Dan. And that is a true working team.
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The Women's Division Chamber of Commerce's Mission Statement is,
Working Together to Make a Difference in our Community
No where is that more felt than at Pioneer Resources where our new Mill Iron Home was awarded $2,000 towards the purchase of a new washer and dryer!
Thank you Ladies, from the bottom of our hearts!
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Please help us fill Mill Iron Home with everything that makes a house a home!
We're getting SO CLOSE to completing The Mill Iron Home, our new group home! With our Open House just around the corner (see above), we need a few items that will truly make this house a home. We have attached a link for an opportunity for you to be a part of The "Shower Mill Iron with Love" campaign.
Share List
Please note: You must have an Amazon.com account to purchase off this wish list. After you select your wish list item and click the button that puts it in your cart, Amazon will ask you to sign into your account.
The address to send your wish list gift is:
Pioneer Resources
601 Terrace St. Suite 100
Muskegon, MI 49440
Attention: Mill Iron
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Make Your Giving Dollar Go Further!
AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon with the same products, prices, and shopping features as Amazon.com. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization of your choice.
How do I shop at AmazonSmile?
To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You may also want to add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile.
Can I use my existing Amazon.com account on AmazonSmile?
Yes, you use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. Your shopping cart, Wish List, wedding or baby registry, and other account settings are also the same.
How do I select a charitable organization to support when shopping on AmazonSmile?
On your first visit to AmazonSmile smile.amazon.com, you need to select a charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. We will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation.
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Lawrence Home takes their residents fishing, and although Keith didn't catch a "keeper", WE caught his great smile for this picture!
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(L) Elizabeth is not so keen on fresh fish. (R) Keith is a happy camper!
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Schuette Releases New Consumer Alert to Warn Residents About New Text Messaging Scams called “Smishing”
Smishing, a blending of the words SMS and phishing, is when scammers send text messages pretending to be from trusted sources
LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced his Consumer Protection team has released a new consumer alert on “Smishing.” Smishing is when a scammer sends text messages to consumers appearing to be from a trusted source.
Smishing scams are like phishing scams for emails except they arrive as text messages. The scammer’s goal is for consumers to respond to the texts with personal information or to click on links that install malware.
“Dishonest individuals are always trying to find new ways to obtain our personal information,” said Schuette. “My Consumer Protection team continually works to stay current on the latest scams, so they can make sure Michigan residents are aware of these scams and know how to identify the scams and avoid them.”
With more than 20 billion text messages sent every day in the United States, a growing number of those are from thieves trying to scam consumers. Smartphone users are three times more likely to fall for fake text messages than computer users, therefore text message scams are on the rise.
Common Smishing Scam
A common smishing tactic involves a text warning about a “problem” with one of your accounts and asking for your information to correct it.
In addition, some scammers, will pitch offers that seem too good to be true such as promises of free gifts and trips.
It is important to not respond to these texts, either by clicking on a link or providing information. You may download malware or become and identity theft victim.
The easiest way to avoid being scammed: delete the message.
How to Spot Smishing Scams
It is important to look out for the following:
- A text message that appears to be your bank and states there is a problem with your account. A phone number is listed for you to call right away;
- A text message from an unknown sender asking for you to call a number, click on link or respond with personal information;
- A text message that reads: “REAL ROLEX 90% OFF, click here.”; and
- A text message that says, “click here,” enter “x,” or reply “stop” to opt out of future messages.
How to Prevent Smishing Scams
- Don’t respond to any suspicious numbers. Instead once you report it, delete the text and block the number;
- Don’t share your phone number unless you know the person or organization well;
- Beware of the fine print in user agreements for products or services that may use your phone number, like mobile apps and free ring-tone offers;
- NEVER follow a text’s instructions to push a designated key to opt out of future messages; and
- Report scam texts to the Federal Communications Commission online, by phone 888-225-5322; or by mail: FCC Consumer Complaints, 445 12th Street S.W., Washington D.C. 20554.
What You Need to Know
Neither the State of Michigan nor the federal government will contact you via text message. Federal law makes it illegal to send commercial text messages to a mobile device without the recipient’s permission. This law even applies if you haven’t put your name on a ‘Do-Not-Call-List’. Downloading apps and ringtones on your smartphone put you more at risk for your number to get in the hands of scammers. It is important to read the “terms of agreement” carefully before downloading anything to your device.
REPORT FRAUD
If you are a mobile subscriber with AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon or Bell you can report spam texts to your carrier by copying the text and forwarding it to 7726 free of charge.
If you cannot use 7226, then consumers can report smishing texts to your service provider and the Federal Communications Commission
Learn more about robocalls, phone scams, and government imposters with our Consumer Education materials, including our Consumer Alerts on Michigan Telemarketing Laws and Telemarketing Fraud.
To report a scam, file a complaint, or get additional information, contact the Michigan Department of Attorney General:
CONSUMER PROTECTION DIVISION
P.O. Box 30213 Lansing, MI 48909
517-373-1140
Fax: 517-241-3771
Toll free: 877-765-8388
Online complaint form
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Become a STAR!
Lip Sinc for Pioneer Resources!
If you are interested in being on Pioneer Resources' Lip Sync team contact Cortney Albertie at calbertie@pioneerresources.org or Christine at cbigney@pioneerresources.org
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Our goal is to welcome six people home by the summer of 2018!
The Mill Iron House is being built to continue our efforts to provide affordable housing and individualized support for individuals with special needs. We need your support to provide funding for home furnishings, appliances, and other items to make a house a home.
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