On Saturday, April 9, Panera Bread and United Way for Southeastern Michigan will host a free family fun day from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. The event is open to all ages.

United Way will share information with parents about the free resources available through its Early Learning Communities – a program that helps ensure children start school prepared and ready to learn.

Children will have the opportunity to participate in educational crafts, cookie decorating and reading activities. Local authors will also be on-site reading their books to the kids.

Participating Panera locations:

Lathrup Village – 27651 Southfield Road

• Author: Tara Michener- The “Who I Am” series and Summer Camp Survival

Sterling Heights – 16 Mile & Van Dyke

• Author: Jim Miller – A Spider Lives In My Belly Button

Southgate – 13665 Eureka Road

• Author: Gary Wise – The Parents of Flannery McKracken

Troy – 15 Mile & Coolidge

• Author: Suzanne Conti – Chloe Finds a Lucky Secret (Tuttle Town Tales)

To learn more about United Way for Southeastern Michigan, visit www.liveunitedsem.org.

On Saturday, Dec. 11, Panera Bread of Southeast Michigan and United Way for Southeastern Michigan will host a free family fun day from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. The event is open to all ages.

United Way will share information with parents about the free resources available through its Early Learning Communities – a program that helps ensure children start school prepared and ready to learn.

Children will have the opportunity to participate in reading activities and craft projects.

Participating Panera Bread locations include:

Bloomfield Hills, 2125 South Telegraph Rd.

Canton, 41950 Ford Rd.

To learn more about United Way for Southeastern Michigan, visit www.liveunitedsem.org.

On Saturday, Oct. 9, Panera Bread of Livonia and United Way for Southeastern Michigan will host a free family fun day from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. The event is open to all ages.

United Way will share information with parents about the free resources available through its Early Learning Communities – a program that helps ensure children start school prepared and ready to learn.

Children will have the opportunity to participate in reading activities and craft projects.

Panera Bread of Livonia is located at 28551 Schoolcraft Rd.

To learn more about United Way for Southeastern Michigan, visit www.liveunitedsem.org.

On Saturday, Sept. 11, Panera Bread of Southeast Michigan and United Way for Southeastern Michigan will host a free family fun day from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. The event is open to all ages.

United Way will share information with parents about the free resources available through its Early Learning Communities – a program that helps ensure children start school prepared and ready to learn.

Children will have the opportunity to participate in reading activities and craft projects.

Participating Panera Bread locations include:

Woodhaven, 23061 Allen Rd.

Troy, 823 East Big Beaver Rd. (located in the Troy Commons Plaza)

To learn more about United Way for Southeastern Michigan, visit www.liveunitedsem.org.

On Saturday, June 12, Panera Bread of Southfield and United Way for Southeastern Michigan will host a free family fun day from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. The event is open to all ages.

United Way will share information with parents about the free resources available through its Early Learning Communities – a program that helps ensure children start school prepared and ready to learn.

Children will have the opportunity to participate in reading activities and craft projects.

Panera Bread of Southfield is located at 23719 Greenfield Rd.

To learn more about United Way for Southeastern Michigan, visit www.liveunitedsem.org.

Looking for something a little more homemade this Easter? Don’t have time for the “homemade” part? Panera Bread has you covered.

Check out Panera’s new bunny cookies made of bunny-shaped shortbread and topped with yellow icing and pink sugar.

Bunny cookies are available in all Panera cafes until Easter Sunday. They are offered individually for $1.99 or in a package of six $4.99. Pick some up for your Easter celebrations.

On Saturday, March 13, Panera Bread of Southgate and United Way for Southeastern Michigan will host a free family fun day from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. The event is open to all ages.

United Way will share information with parents about the free resources available through its Early Learning Communities – a program that helps ensure children start school prepared and ready to learn.

Children will have the opportunity to participate in reading activities and craft projects.

Panera Bread of Southgate is located at 13665 Eureka Rd.

To learn more about United Way for Southeastern Michigan, visit www.liveunitedsem.org.

Our family loves Panera Bread and this new program is another great reason that we will be visiting one of our fave restaurants!

Panera Bread of Southeast Michigan, in partnership with United Way for Southeastern Michigan, is encouraging metro Detroit residents to volunteer with their joint program called “Impact Your Neighborhood.” The regional initiative aims to build healthier, stronger communities and runs through November 2010. Volunteers may register for various projects by visiting www.LiveUnitedSEM.org.

Participating Panera Bread project locations include bakery-cafes across metro Detroit. Prior to each project, the designated bakery-cafe will host a breakfast and informational session. Volunteers will also receive a complimentary T-Shirt and a Panera Bread catered lunch upon project completion.

Volunteer opportunities include:

• Saturday, Feb. 20 at the Baldwin Center in Pontiac
• Saturday, March 6 at Starfish Family Services in Inkster
• Saturday, April 24 at Solid Ground in Roseville
• Saturday, May 8 at Lincoln Middle School in Warren
• Saturday, June 26 at Southwest Counseling Solutions in Detroit
• Saturday, Sept. 25 at Gleaners locations in Detroit, Pontiac, Warren and Taylor
• Saturday, Oct. 23 at LightHouse PATH in Pontiac
• Saturday, Nov. 13 at Vista Maria in Dearborn Heights

For more information about volunteer opportunities or to register for a project, visit www.LiveUnitedSEM.org, or call (313) 226-9200. Volunteers must register to participate in a project.

On Saturday, Feb. 13, Panera Bread of Rochester Hills and United Way for Southeastern Michigan will host a free family fun day from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. The event is open to all ages. During the event, the United Way will share information with parents about the free resources available through its Early Learning Communities, a program that helps ensure children start school prepared and ready to learn.

Children who visit during the event will have the opportunity to participate in reading activities and craft projects.

Panera Bread of Rochester Hills is located at 2508 S. Adams Rd.

Yesterday, Michelle and I drove to Pontiac to deliver a HUGE box of school supplies to a teacher who deserved them.

Detroit Mommies along with the help of Office Max collected supplies from friends, family, neighbors, General Motors, Nannies4Hire.com, Panera and Sound Music Instruction to deliver to one lucky teacher.

This teacher, Jason Dosch, is one of those teachers that goes above and beyond for his students.  He’s one of those teachers that is at the school on the weekends preparing lessons for his students.  He’s one of those teachers that has offered his summer break to help a student catch up, on his own time.

This type of teacher is very special because he not only has given his time to his students, but he really cares with all of his heart that his students make it in this world, that they succeed.

Times are tough everywhere!  The economy is bad in every economic class and some areas are suffering more than others and what really hit hard for me was that Pontiac is only about 10 miles away from the city I live in, Rochester.  Makes my heart ache that one city has it made while right next door, schools are closing.

I felt really good to see the excitement in the faces of the students and the sincere gratitude that Mr. Dosch showed as well.  I know that Michelle and I both were very happy to be able to give back to a community and a teacher that deserved the supplies that we delivered.

Courtney is the ultimate multitasking mom!  She runs  three blogs Giftfully Simple, The Digital Mommy and Detroit Mommies , is a Social Media Marketing Consultant and has 3 girls under 6 years old.  Courtney is the founder of Detroit Mommies.  You can follow her on Twitter @theappleofmyeye.  She has worked with companies like Johnsons & Johnsons, Dove, e.l.f., Stride Rite, Sorel, 20th Century Fox, The Palace, Melissa & Doug, Panera and Tiny Prints (to name a few).  Courtney is a Purex^® Insider and a Max Mom for Office Max.