DBTM celebrating COTS 40th anniversary

COTS anniversary speech

Good evening ladies and gentlemen, Cheryl P Johnson, COTS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, and her esteemed team, please let’s give her a hand (clap), distinguish guests, members of the city, community, supporters and donors, thank you for being here this evening as COTS celebrates 40 years of loving families to wholeness in the Detroit metropolitan area.

My name is Julie Howard-Miller, Founder of Dramatic Behind The Mic. DBTM began as a memorial to my late husband, William WeeGee Howard. Does anyone remember WeeGee from the Dramatics? OK I see a few of you remember WeeGee. Oh, he loved Detroit to his very core.

William and I were married for 21 years, when he passed. As a matter of fact he grew up right down the street from here. In 2022, I now have 20 years clean, one day at a time, sometimes it was one minute time and it added up to 20 years right now.

Our life had become unmanageable we were in the grips of addiction, I made it out, William didn’t.  When we reached out for help and the only way that we could get help where we were was to lie and say, I don’t even know who the father is, you did what you had to do. We were sleeping in the car with our two kids. Another option presented was drug court. Those two words together were not appealing to me.

William would love to see the love these families are surrounded by and how they are respected and encouraged and uplifted and educated. They are loved to wholeness with a five year “passport to self sufficiency”. I researched for two years for an organization of this caliber, their level of dedication can be seen in the faces of the families they serve.

Tonight, COTS and DBTM would like to recognize  four families who’s dedication and commitment to their family, children and the community as a whole, as they now have the tools and support to create opportunities to succeed.

Please join me in honoring tonight:

1. Teresa Marshall
2. Cynthia Talley
3. Raven Gee
4. Shandrea Kelly

 

We present to you the GROW FROM HERE Certificate of Recognition for participating in moving yourselves and your families forward for generations to come. Thank you for embracing the process of helping to create your special opportunities to succeed.

Please, Let’s give our recipients a hand.

Thank you, WeeGee would be so honored.

When the me surrendered, the power of WE saved my life and I am forever grateful.