Raise A Glass –Foster children benefit from Sherwood’s Presents for Pints
By Ava Nightingale
Every Christmas morning 10 to 15 presents wait foreach foster child adopted through Sherwood Brewing Company’s Presents for Pints campaign.
“It’s always very humbling to see how generous the community is and how quickly they can come together for a cause and knowing that there are thousands of local foster kids who wouldn’t be having a Christmas if it weren’t for all of us coming together. So, it’s wonderful to see the totality of the thing at the end,” said Lisa Sherwood, co-owner of Sherwood Brewing in Shelby Township.
From Friday, Nov. 1 to the first week of December, Sherwood sets up a Christmas tree decorated with hundreds of pizzas, pints, and growler shaped ornaments.
Each ornament contains a foster child’s wish list item. In return for customers’ generosity, Sherwood gives them a coupon for the item their ornament represents.
The newest addition this year: a couch ornament. Those who select the couch buy gifts from Sherwood’s Amazon wish list. After donators ship items to the brewery, Sherwood transports them to Friends of Foster Kids. In return, the donators receive an extra-large pizza.
Covid and the recent surge in online shopping inspired the idea, according to Sherwood.
“There are some people who might not eat out as often or prefer not to go out very much, but they want to help. So, this way they can access it from the comfort of their living room, and we want to make it as easy for everybody as possible to fulfill these wishes for the kids,” Sherwood said.
Sherwood’s strong passion for charity started long before this campaign’s creation. Previously, Sherwood worked for Michigan State University’s youth and family programs. Consequently, when she and her husband, Rob, opened Sherwood’s Brewing Company, they made it their mission to constantly aid the community.
Following their mission, they started Presents for Pints 17 years ago. Originally, the donations went to the Basket Project, then Macomb County Care House. About seven years ago they switched to the local nonprofit, Friends of Foster Kids.
“It (Presents for Pints) is one of the many things that we do throughout the year, and we’re always interested in connecting with local schools and other organizations,” Sherwood said. “It’s something that we want to do year-round. We want to give back to the community and stay connected. And like I said, Presents for Pints is an easy one, because people can do it from the comfort of their own home.”