Parents strive to provide their children with a life full of love, support and opportunities. But what happens when something uncontrollable happens, such as a serious, long-term illness, that affects their child’s quality of life?
The answer is something that The Davies Project (TDP) strives to provide. The Davies Project spearheads collaboration across Greater Lansing to provide community-based, non-medical support to local families facing serious, long-term health challenges with a child. In particular, when a car is unavailable and public transportation is a poor option, The Davies Project helps families by providing free rides to and from local subspecialty medical appointments.
As part of our seventh annual Martin Waymire Gives Project, we will help rebrand The Davies Project so it can reach as many families in need as possible.
Looking for a ride?
The Davies Project pairs families with volunteer drivers to ensure that all children in the Greater Lansing area have access to the health care they need, especially when their families don’t have access to a car or public transportation. There’s a large need for this service in the Lansing area. According to TDP, 70 percent of the children who use the Lansing area subspecialty clinics are on Medicaid and are missing 60 percent of their doctor appointments, often because they don’t have an easy way of getting there. From providing transportation to being a support system, TDP volunteers have a positive impact on the lives of Mid-Michigan families.
The organization was inspired by Dr. H. Dele Davies, a Nigerian doctor who served as chairman of the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development at Michigan State University for more than nine years. Dr. Davies helped increase the quality of pediatric care in the Lansing area by coordinating partnerships between Sparrow’s Regional Children’s Center, businesses and religious groups.
The Rebrand
Iconic logos such as the McDonald’s golden arches, Target’s bullseye and the Nike swoosh are instantly recognizable. Along with unique taglines, these organizations have marketing prowess. The Davies Project wants this level of recognition for its organization within the Lansing community.
This holiday season, the Martin Waymire team will donate $1,000 and help develop a new logo and tagline for The Davies Project. Jodi Parker, our graphic design specialist, will take the lead on creating the new logo, and Assistant Account Executive Natalie Kozma will spearhead the tagline development. A cohesive logo and tagline will be printed on car magnets to make it easy to identify cars being driven by The Davies Project volunteers as they take ill children to their doctors’ appointments. Look for the new logo and tagline on the roads in 2017!
The Inspiration
“The Davies Project holds a special place in my heart because my son had cancer,” said Pam Riley Miklavcic, executive director, The Davies Project. “Childhood illnesses place a tremendous amount of stress on families. Our organization’s goal is to provide a sense of relief and support to our community.”
How can you support?
Martin Waymire challenges you to get up, get out and give!
Stay tuned for more from the 2016 Martin Waymire Gives Project!
