Mission Statement
To reach the community and help fill in gaps wherever needed.
SIMPLE ACTS CAN MEAN THE WORLD.
WHEN THINGS GET FUNDED, SOME THINGS GET LOST IN THE SHUFFLE.
WE'RE HERE TO LEND A HELPING HAND.
Get to know Team Patton Outreach, the heartwarming nonprofit with a mission driven by love and compassion. It all began with the Pattons' deep affection for their daughter, Erin Terina Maria Patton, whose memory they keep alive through this important work. Inspired by the kindness they received during her hospital stay, they discovered the importance of fulfilling small community needs that often slip through the cracks.
From a simple stuffed animal drive to bringing comfort and hope to children facing medical challenges in hospitals, Team Patton Outreach has grown into a force of positivity. Their love knows no bounds – collaborating with schools, adopting families during Christmas, and even creating lockboxes for seniors in partnership with the fire department. Together, they make a lasting impact, creating meaningful memories for those in their community. Through love and care, Team Patton Outreach is making an impact, one project at a time.
ONGOING PROJECTS
STUFFED ANIMAL DRIVE
Since 2001, Team Patton Outreach has been honoring the cherished memory of Erin Terina Maria Patton by organizing an annual Stuffed Animal drive, along with a blanket drive. From August 4th to October 2nd or 3rd each year, the community rallies together in support of this heartwarming initiative. Inspired by the love they have for their beloved daughter, Erin, the Pattons hold onto the memories they made during her short life.
Each September through October, Team Patton Outreach raises upwards of 400 stuffed animals. Donation sites can be found all across Clinton Township, where the community comes together to make a meaningful impact. The donated items are given to St. John Hospital of Michigan in Detroit and the Children's Hospital Specialty Center in Clinton Township, bringing smiles to the faces of young patients and giving them new friends to provide comfort.
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CHRISTMAS ADOPT-A-FAMILY
For several years now, Team Patton Outreach has embraced the holiday spirit by adopting over ninety families during the season, ensuring they are able celebrate this special time. From food and clothing and other essential needs, to (of course) toys, we make sure each family's unique needs are met, spreading happiness and making a difference in their lives.
At TPO, unity is our strength. Shopping together as a team, we assign families with names, ages, sizes, and other details, creating an experience that fosters camaraderie among our members. This cherished tradition allows us to spend quality time together, doing what we love most: serving the community and bringing smiles to those who need it most.
In collaboration with organizations like MCREST Homeless Shelter, we extend our impact even further, and our beloved "Pinky the Bear" joins us in delivering the gifts to homes. Through the Christmas Adopt-A-Family program, we gather community members and friends of TPO to make a tangible and meaningful difference, filling the holiday season with love, compassion, and the spirit of giving.
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BLANKET DRIVE
For over 21 years and counting, Team Patton Outreach has been making a heartwarming impact through their Blanket Donation Program. Thousands of blankets have been taken to various medical units, including Children's Hospital of Detroit (NICU, PICU, Ticker Club), Ascension St. John Hospital (Peds, PICU, and NICU units), and Children's Stilson Center in Clinton Township (Cardiology Unit). The generosity of the community is truly heartwarming, with many individuals hand-sewing blankets and donating them. Team Patton Outreach even hosts blanket sewing parties to ensure there's always a comforting blanket ready for those in need. The dedication to providing comfort and care continues, with blankets being collected year-round to meet the ongoing needs of the hospitals and their young patients.
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LOCKBOXES FOR SENIORS
Team Patton Outreach's Lockboxes for Seniors program is a thoughtful initiative in collaboration with the senior center and the fire department, providing a sense of security and care to our treasured Clinton Township seniors. Each lockbox, thoughtfully sent along with a care package, is placed outside the home. The lockbox is accessible only to the fire department, who holds the key. This ensures that in case of an emergency, the fire department can swiftly gain access to the home, minimizing damage and providing peace of mind to our seniors.
Working hand-in-hand with the Clinton Township Fire Department and under the guidance of Senior Center Director, Matt Makowski, and Assistant Director, Debbie Travis, we are dedicated to installing as many of these lockboxes as needed. With your generous support, we can continue to make a positive impact in the lives of our seniors, ensuring they feel safe and supported in their homes.
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DETROIT PISTONS +
MOTOR CITY CRUISE +
DETROIT LIONS GAMES
Team Patton Outreach (TPO) is deeply invested in the community, particularly in creating meaningful youth experiences that leave a lasting impact. One significant initiative focuses on providing high school students with the opportunity to attend sporting events. Through our dedicated efforts, we organize field trips to Little Caesar's Arena in Detroit, where students can cheer on the Detroit Pistons, and to Ford Field for an unforgettable experience watching the Detroit Lions in action. Additionally, we arrange visits to Wayne State University Field House, where students can witness the excitement of Pistons G-League, Motor City Cruise basketball games.
We firmly believe in the significance of these experiences, as they have mattered greatly to our own children and hold the potential to positively impact others as well. By providing essential resources, including tickets, transportation, and refreshments, students cam create cherished memories and foster a love for sports and community engagement.
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TRIPS TO THE DIA
Team Patton Outreach takes great pride in enriching the lives of high school students through meaningful experiences like the trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts. Collaborating with exceptional educators like Coach Robert Townsend from Clintondale High School, this exciting outing was made possible, giving students a chance to explore and learn in a vibrant cultural setting. TPO provided dedicated chaperone volunteers, ensuring the students' safety and fostering an enjoyable environment for all. By offering high school kids the opportunity to visit the Detroit Institute of Arts, we open doors to knowledge, inspiration, and creativity.
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ABOUT TEAM PATTON OUTREACH
IT STARTED WITH A TEDDY BEAR.
Team Patton Outreach was born out of the love the Pattons have for their oldest daughter, Erin Terina Maria Patton. Erin Terina was born September 18th, 2001, with four congenital heart defects. Erin’s short life, and the memories that were made, are what the Patton's keep alive through the work of their nonprofit.
Erin received a couple of teddy bears, one EMS panda bear and one brown surgery bear with green scrubs while she was at Children’s Hospital of Detroit. All items were donated from the public, which educated the Patton's to the needs within the hospital and the power of these gestures in times of crisis.
AND IT KEPT GROWING FROM THERE.
What started as a stuffed animal drive to bring comfort to children facing medical challenges at St. John Hospital of Michigan in Detroit and Children's Hospital Specialty Center in Clinton Township, has now evolved into a full-fledged mission of compassion. For over two decades, TPO has been providing stuffed animals, blankets, and other items to young patients, spreading love and hope.
In 2021, TPO officially became a nonprofit to expand their nonprofit's mission to rise and meet additional needs in the community; pledging to fill in the gaps left by local governments and service organizations. This status as a nonprofit allowed them to expand their efforts to meet the challenges posed by the COVID pandemic by distributing masks en masse where they were needed. Their commitment to the community extends beyond hospital walls as they collaborate with Clintondale School District and Chippewa School Districts to offer underserved children special, memorable events, like Detroit Pistons and Detroit Lions games. During Christmas, TPO adopts families, providing them with gifts and essentials. They've partnered with the senior center and fire department to create lockboxes for seniors, ensuring access in case of emergencies.
THE TEAM PATTON OUTREACH FAMILY WANTS TO HELP YOU AND YOURS.
At the core of Team Patton Outreach lies a deep sense of family, where their love for each other serves as the north star and daily motivation. Tammy, together with her best friend and husband, Cliff, has nurtured a strong and unbreakable bond for twenty-three years, building a loving home for their six children: Anthony, Clifford, Daniel, Bailey, Grant, and Ivy. This profound sense of family and compassion inspired the birth of Team Patton Outreach to meet the needs of the larger family within their community.
Through their generosity and care, the Patton family and Team Patton Outreach continue to make a lasting impact, uplifting the lives of all those they touch, creating a legacy of love echoing far beyond their own home.
ABOUT TAMMY AND CLIFF
Tammy and Cliff Patton are a dynamic couple dedicated to their community and family. Tammy, a passionate advocate, counselor, and the first black-elected trustee in Clinton Township (elected in 2020), has made a lasting impact through her leadership. Tammy is U.S. Army Veteran, who served eight years in the military. She holds an Associate's Degree in Healthcare Administration from Eastern Gateway Community College, followed by a Bachelor's Degree in Community Service and a Master's Degree in Community Counseling from Sienna Heights University. In 2022, Tammy was awarded a certificate of completion for the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Executive Education.
Cliff Patton is a skilled Journeymen Pipefitter and Certified Welder with Local Union 636. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Walden University. Cliff and Tammy hold a FFL license for their firearms business, Patton Arms, and train in firearm safety through their business, Dedicated Defense LLC. Family drives the Pattons; they have raised six children and fostered twelve children.
DONATE
Spread hope and make a difference today. Your donation to Team Patton Outreach enables us to bring comfort and meaningful memories to those in need. Together, we can create a lasting impact in our community. Click the donate button and be a part of our compassionate mission. Thank you for your generosity!
TO DONATE FUNDS FOR SPECIFIC PURCHASES AND INITIATIVES,
PLEASE VISIT OUR ONGOING PROJECTS AND SELECT A CORRESPONDING BUTTON.
PARTNER WITH US
AT TEAM PATTON OUTREACH: NO PROJECT IS TOO SMALL!
Please complete the following form to express your interest in partnering with Team Patton Outreach, whether it be for assisting one of our ongoing projects, or securing our help with you or your organization's existing project. We specialize in (relatively) small projects that fall through the cracks, but make a huge difference in the lives of those we help. A small line item struck from the budget of a local government office, can be another person's lasting memory with your involvement.
Your response will help us understand your goals, resources, and potential areas of collaboration. Thank you for your interest in working together to make a positive impact in our community.
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