Hopes and Dreams Gala
Save the Date
6th Annual Hopes & Dreams Gala
A night of dinner, live and silent auctions, and the stories behind the work you make possible.
Tickets go on sale in early 2027. Sponsorship is open now.
Sponsorship is open
Sponsor the 2027 Gala
Sponsorship covers the room, so that more of what's raised in it goes straight to programs. Here is what sponsors funded in 2025.
72
job placements across diverse industries, up 22% over the year before
130+
employer partners building inclusive workplaces across Southeast Michigan
20%
increase in first-year job retention through a new Job Maintenance Support program
93
cities across 12 Michigan counties where members and families are served
Sponsorship levels
$1,000 to $50,000 Benefits include VIP Reception access, reserved tables, program advertising, and recognition across event materials and social media. Full details and levels are in the packet.
Download the 2027 Sponsorship PacketWant to build a custom package, or sponsor across the Gala, Santa Run, and Variety Show? Contact Dennis Howie at dhowie@llecmi.org or 248.308.3592, ext. 122.
The Living and Learning Story
Living and Learning started with a mother who wanted a better future for her autistic son, and a small social group meeting at the Farmington Public Library.
Ten years later, that group is a 12-acre campus on the Novi/Northville border serving more than 600 teens and adults with disabilities every year, across 93 cities and 12 counties in Southeast Michigan.
What happens there
- Inclusive employmentVocational training, job placement, on-site coaching, and retention support, with more than 130 employer partners.
- Clinical and behavioral servicesCounseling, ABA therapy, family support, and benefits navigation.
- Social programsCooking club, writer's club, Dungeons & Dragons and a dozen more, for teens and adults who never found a place they fit.
- Baseline Art StudioWhere members build portfolios and sell their work, including at Michigan Central Station in Detroit.
- A working farmBees, alpacas, gardens, and a member-run Farmstand that turns daily routines into job training.
"What happens when the bus stops coming?"
It is the question we hear most from parents. Michigan's school-based supports end at 26, and for a lot of families the path forward simply stops there.
The need is still outrunning us. In 2025 we filled an average of 433 program seats a month, welcomed 153 new members, and added 31 staff — and the vocational waitlist still grew by 27%.
That gap is what the Hopes & Dreams Gala funds.
Thank You to Our 2026 Gala Sponsors
The 2026 Hopes & Dreams Gala happened because of these partners. Recognition for 2027 begins as sponsorships come in.
Presenting Sponsors
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
Copper Sponsors
Table Sponsors
