PLEASE NOTE TIME CHANGE!!! Join the Club and special elected guests at Shepherd Park in Oak Park from 5-7 P.M. for our annual summer picnic fundraiser. We are honoring four very special members for their service to the Club: Wanda Anderson, Max Milstein, Helaine Zack, and Tom Zerafa. Please RSVP on ActBlue at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/clubpicnic. Donations are always welcome and needed. More information can be found on our website, www.ophwdems.org or our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Oak-Park-Huntington-Woods-Democratic-Club-174319429424644
Our Honorees:
Helaine Zack
Helaine is a former Oakland County Commissioner, serving for 18 years in Oak Park, Huntington Woods and Royal Oak Township. At all times, she participated in our local Democratic club, keeping her voters informed of Oakland County activities. She used her education, skills and passions to protect our neighborhoods and advocate in our best interests. Helaine lives in Huntington Woods.
She spent 18 years helping citizens solve problems and working to improve life in Oakland County. While she decided not to run again for County Commissioner, she promised that her dedication won’t stop. During her tenure, Helaine worked on various projects, such as jail diversion for the mentally ill, services for senior citizens and the new Oakland County Animal Care and Control Center, which opened in 2017.
Since retirement from the Commission, as an Oakland County appointee to the Regional Transit Authority Board, Helaine continues to promote better regional transit and mobility.
Max Milstein
Max Milstein is part of the brain trust. He is Oak Park/Huntington Woods/Royal Oak Township Democratic Club vice chair, a precinct delegate in Oak Park, OCDP Executive Club member, a committed member and former chair of the Club from 2018 -2020. During his time with the Club, he helped drive turnout for Democratic candidates in the Club's greater area and increased engagement with Royal Oak Township residents. In 2017, he set an example as a precinct delegate by knocking doors weekly before a PD team was even in place; he became a critical precinct delegate, leading the local movement for getting out the vote. Active in Democratic politics since 2010, Max lives in Oak Park and will soon become a new father.
Wanda Anderson
Wanda is former chair of the Oak Park/Huntington Woods/Royal Oak Township Democratic Club, former recording secretary, part of the brain trust, long-time activist, precinct delegate in Oak Park, and a critical supporter. She believes in the values of the Democratic Party, which holds strong to supporting working class and middle-class families. In addition, she is elected as a member of the Michigan State CAP Committee, representing International UAW, Region 1; she is the current vice chair, Oakland County Democratic Party, and was elected as a 14th Congressional District Delegate to the 2020 Democratic National Convention. Presently, she serves as an alternate to State Central, representing the 14th CD. She is on the MDP Rules Committee for the 14th CD and is an elected member of the Michigan Democratic Party Appeals Committee. Her community service to various community organizations includes North End Youth Improvement Council, Adopt-A-Child for Xmas Program, Member United Negro College Fund Women’s Committee, Capuchin Soup Kitchen and Coats for Kids.
Brother Thomas Zerafa
Brother Thomas Zerafa is a long-time resident of Oak Park and a long-time board member of the OPHW/ROT Democratic Club. He has always been a willing volunteer to host meetings and to take on difficult assignments over many years. He has been an example of community service for all. He is and has been active with the Michigan Coalition for Human Rights, Oak Park Huntington Woods Democratic Club, Huntington Woods Peace Group, Peace Action of Michigan, META Peace Team, Affirmations (Ferndale), Families with Dignity, Detroit Rochester Riders, Motor City Freedom Riders (MCFR), Transit Riders United (TRU), Sierra Club (local and state chapters), Citizens Climate Lobby (local and state chapters), Our Mother of Perpetual Help, Peace & Justice Group, Between the Lines (LGBTQ bi-weekly Newspaper), OUT Post (monthly magazine), ACLU (Detroit office), Strangers No Longer, Michigan Coalition For Human Rights (MCHR), and Michigan Immigration Rights Coalition (MIRC), as well as cooking for and serving the homeless and providing the music for church services for years. This late fall he will go on a mission to Mexico to work at a refugee shelter.