Community Spotlight: Supporting Leelanau County’s People and Businesses

At the Glen Arbor Bed & Breakfast and Cottages, we welcome the opportunity to support groups that lend a helping hand in our community. With every stay, a portion of your payment is donated to support local philanthropic efforts. Our donations contribute to several Leelanau local community organizations. Among others, we proudly support The Leelanau Neighbors, the Leelanau County Infant & Toddler Collaborative, Glen Lake Fire & Rescue, and more. Read on to learn more about how your stay contributes to the betterment of the Glen Arbor community.

The Leelanau Neighbors

The Leelanau Neighbors work to provide food and services to members of the community who need it the most. We make regular donations to the pantry based on the needs of the food bank. The Baby Pantry often needs formula, so we brought $500 worth of formula to the center.

Moreover, we learned that there were seldom spices for cooking in many of these homes. Did it occur to you that those who must turn to the food bank to feed their family are working with basically tasteless canned goods and boxed items? Me either. So we stocked shelves with chili powder and basil, Italian seasoning and garlic powder, oregano and cinnamon.

Serving on the Leelanau County Infant & Toddler Collaborative

One of the newer programs in the county focuses on establishing additional child care services for families with working parents. In the county, the need exceeds the number of sufficient licensed care openings. Organizers are focused on establishing more home-based child care opportunities, assuring quality offerings, identifying startup funding, and creating shared services for interested providers to set up a home-based business. With owner Patricia’s PhD in Education, she is playing an important role in making this collaborative a reality at a critical time for the county.

Glen Lake Fire & Rescue

Glen Lake Fire & Rescue plays an important role in safeguarding and rescuing the 1.7 million annual visitors at the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. Glen Lake’s Fire & Rescue personnel are the National Lakeshore’s main emergency service. Several members of the esteemed fire station team take the lead in the Annual Fourth of July Parade that passes by the Glen Arbor B&B on the main corner of town. And we make a principal contribution through the Annual Pancake Breakfast that purchases vital training and equipment for the department.

College Scholarship Funds

Your stay at Glen Arbor B&B supports multiple college scholarship funds for local Glen Lake Community Schools seniors. Students headed to higher education and certificate programs benefit from community events. The Glen Arbor Women’s Club Running Bear Race and the annual Art Fair raise thousands for student scholarships. In addition, the Traverse City Spartan Fund raises scholarship dollars for our students enrolling at Michigan State. We give to all of these events.

Cottage Book Shop’s Holiday Book Drive

At Christmas time, the Book Shop and the Glen Lake Community Library team up to provide books for underprivileged students at the Glen Lake Schools. It is one of our favorite efforts. We give substantially each year to assure that the Book Shop and the Library have sufficient support to meet all the requests they receive. The volumes make a pretty impressive holiday tree, too, that lights the back room at the Book Shop.

Glen Lake Chamber of Commerce

The owners of B&B work with the Glen Lake Chamber of Commerce, too, to benefit the community; Larry is the Treasurer, and Patricia is the Secretary to the Board of Directors. They are deeply involved in such initiatives as creation and distribution of the Glen Lake Walking Map and the Annual Holiday Marketplace. Additionally, they played a role in the business-district-wide Collaboration for Public Art, coming soon.

We truly believe that the Leelanau Peninsula is heaven on earth. Glen Arbor Bed & Breakfast is committed to preserving the land, enriching treasured experiences, and supporting those who serve our community. Thank you to our guests for contributing to the GABB Community Support Fund (CSF).