Mity Nice’s co-owners have been volunteers in a variety of causes: the Breakfast at St. Andrew’s, 826 Michigan, Storytime Players in Ann Arbor Public Schools, The Ark, Performance Network and Ypsilanti High Schools’ Drama Program. We also support community volunteering and engagement.

Mity Nice will focus on three areas for its charitable giving and donations:

•  Food and hunger related charities
•  Youth, education and literacy causes
• Arts groups, especially those that work with youth and teens or disadvantaged families

If you would like to recommend a charity or charitable event, please see that they meet these four criteria:

• They operate and serve people who live or work mainly in Washtenaw or Wayne County.
• They fall within our three focus areas.
• They are rated by CharityNavigator or another charity rating service in the top one-third of similar charities. That means at least three stars on Charity Navigator.
• The organization has no policies that limit its services or discriminate against any individuals or groups, not by age, sexual orientation, race or gender.

Then if they meet all four of these criteria, please send an email note to Vickie Elmer at generositygrows(at) yahoo.com, nominating your charity, and mentioning any upcoming events you want us to support. Please give an estimated attendance and as many detail as possible.

We will need at least two weeks notice before the event or activity. Please understand not all requests can be met or honored.

If your charity is selected, we will ask you (or a friend) to volunteer your time and come out to help serve the Italian Ice that day. In some cases we will be able to provide only the sweet treat and in some cases we will come out with our cart and staff.

In 2012, Mity Nice supported:

Ann Arbor Council for Traditional Dance and Music, Brick Bash, Dexter-Ann Arbor Kids Runs, Fly Art Center, Food Gatherers, Girl Scouts Council, Gleaners Food Bank, Groundcover News, Last Day Dog Rescue, Leslie Science & Nature Center and the artists who come for The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair.

We also supported the Ann Arbor (Sunday) Artisan Market by staging special events that drew patrons to that market. And we gave away more than 700 free servings of Italian ice at the end of the Jaycee’s 4th of July Parade to dozens of organizations, preschools, musicians, politicans and more.

In 2010 and 2011, Mity Nice supported:

Growing Hope, Food Gatherers, 826 Michigan, Peace Neighborhood Center, Leslie Science & Nature Center, Jaycees (via the 4th of July Parade), The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair  “The Original,” Ann Arbor Council for Traditional Dance and Music during Dancin’ in the Streets and others too.