ADRIAN — From handing out new American flags to county residents just in time for Flag Day, to picking up trash along the Kiwanis Trail and celebrating teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week, Gleaner Life Insurance Society has been busy making a positive impact throughout the Lenawee County community.

On June 8, with assistance from the Kiwanis Club of Adrian, Gleaner Life’s Legacy Arbor — one of several local service groups for Gleaner Life — picked up litter and other trash along the Kiwanis Trail in Adrian, beautifying the trail’s corridor.

Gleaner Life Insurance Society’s Legacy Arbor organized the second annual event and was joined by seven members of the Kiwanis Club of Adrian, a news release said. Volunteers collected about 15 total bags of garbage.

“That was far less than a smaller group removed a year ago, showing the improved condition of the trail and the Adrian city parks it passes through,” Gleaner Life said.

A complimentary lunch was available after the cleanup project. Trash bags and mechanical pickup sticks were provided to the volunteers by the Adrian Parks and Recreation department.

“We’re thankful to all who came and helped clean the Kiwanis Trail with Legacy Arbor including several members of the Kiwanis Club,” Legacy Arbor President Julie Tison said. “While we collected several bags of trash, we were pleasantly surprised to see how clean and beautiful the parks looked overall this year. We hope to continue to find ways to impact the Lenawee community.”

A handful of days after the trail cleanup project, Gleaner Life welcomed more than 200 Lenawee County residents to its headquarters in Adrian, 5200 W. U.S. 223, for a flag exchange program that allowed people to register for a new American flag. All the registrants needed to do when stopping by Gleaner June 12 was exchange a weathered and worn flag for a new flag at no cost. Donations were accepted.

Founded in 1894, Gleaner Life Insurance Society is a nationally recognized nonprofit fraternal benefit society. It can be found online at gleanerlife.org.

Teachers appreciated by Gleaner’s Legacy Arbor

Back in May, as part of its ongoing initiative to make Lenawee County the best it can be, Gleaner’s Legacy Arbor provided school staffers across the Adrian Public Schools district with a warm start to the day of doughnuts and hot beverages.

The Gleaner group sponsored a beverage truck and purchased doughnuts to help dozens of school employees start their Monday of school week with a smile. The doughnuts and beverages were provided for Teacher Appreciation Week, which is a nationally recognized holiday in the United States and takes place the first full week of May.

The truck was set up at 6:30 a.m. at Adrian High School’s staff parking lot, and near Springbrook Middle School and Alexander Elementary School. As school began at Michener Elementary School, the group moved there for an extra hour, Gleaner said.

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“Teachers make a big impact on the students they encounter every day and are so generous with their time and commitment,” Tison said. “We just wanted to find a small way to say thank you.”

— Contact reporter Brad Heineman at bheineman@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: twitter.com/LenaweeHeineman.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Gleaner Life impacting Lenawee through community service initiatives