A Gift of Love From the Home Front

NOVI, MI--(Marketwire - Oct 2, 2012) - As American service men and women protect our freedom with weapons of war, members of Fox Run, an Erickson Living community in Novi, Mi., take up their scissors in support of their heroic efforts.

Each week, in partnership with the American Veterans (AMVETS) Post 27 in Warren, Mi., dedicated volunteers collect and clip thousands of manufacturers coupons which are sent to 40 U.S. military posts worldwide. The result is more than a million dollars in total consumer savings for our countrymen overseas.

"It's our way of giving back to the men and women who risk their lives for us," says community member Lucille Hubbard, who leads Fox Run's "Coupons for Troops" program. "We have two donation boxes on campus where we collect both coupon flyers which we use to cut out the individual coupons as well as coupons residents have cut for us."

Since August 2011, Hubbard and her fellow "Coupons for Troops" members meet each Thursday afternoon to clip the coupons, sort them by size, and bundle them in $600 stacks.

"As of last week, (September 27^th), we have clipped and mailed 289,800 coupons this year," she says.

"We've counted the face value of the coupons many times," says Post Vice Commander Gerald Moore, who works with the Fox Run volunteers. "Each box we send contains 2,000 coupons representing a potential cost savings of $1.00 per coupon for a total of $2,000 per box."

Based on that math, Fox Run has raised almost $300,000 in savings for military families this year.

"We do not send the coupons into the war zones but to the military bases where a soldier's family can use them," says Moore. "Last year we collected 1,100,000 coupons, and hope to repeat that feat again this year. We are so grateful to the efforts of the Fox Run volunteers. They are responsible for more than half of the coupons we collect."

According to Moore, the Post has received thank-you letters from Camp Zama Commissary in Japan, Riyadh Commissary in Saudi Arabia, RAF Lakenheath Family Services in England, Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society in Okinawa, Camp Kinser Personal Services Center in Okinawa, soldiers and families of USAG Ansbach in Germany, and Baumholder Commissary in Germany.

"Our contributions help families of soldiers save money every day," he says. "It helps them feel closer to home, and makes life a little more affordable. The volunteers at Fox Run are setting a standard for volunteer work that is amazing. They are a tremendous group of volunteers and are a real credit to the community."

To show their appreciation, the AMVETS will host a celebration on October 20, 2012, to thank the Fox Run "Coupons for Troops" volunteers. The State Commander of the AMVETS John Hoechert will provide opening remarks and present a plaque to the community. Each individual volunteer will receive a certificate and a flag pin.

"We were surprised and happy to learn that the AMVETS wants to do this," says Hubbard. "We do what we do not for accolades but because it is a simple effort that can do so much good."

Fox Run is managed by Erickson Living and is located at 41000 Thirteen Mile Road, Novi, MI 48377. More information about Fox Run can be found at: www.ericksonliving.com.