ARISE Detroit Neighborhoods Day August 7 2010

ARISE Detroit! Neighborhoods Day is an annual showcase for Detroit and the best it has to offer all throughout the city. This year residents, block clubs and community organizations will unite once again to display their pride and commitment to the Motor City which has many jewels both nationally known and some tucked away from tourists' view.

Luther Keith, Executive Director of ARISE Detroit! also encourages everyone to celebrate the community spirit of Detroit Saturday evening at Hart Plaza when there will be special presentations in conjunction with the 15th Annual Ribs 'n' Soul Festival.

"ARISE" stands for Activating and Resources and Inspiring Service and Empowerment.

Commenting on the 2009 event, JaDonna Dingus said: “It was just community people coming together to have a good time.” Ms. Dingus is a coordinator of the event in partnership with Alan Dozier of Communities in Schools of Detroit and the Community Foundation of Southeastern Michigan.

“We have started a community conversation about making the community better,” she said. “We have started to build a relationship of trust and authenticity to further engage folks.”

The 2009 event sparked initiative in many residents, volunteers and community organizations. Friends Schools distributed information concerning the Riverfront Village Project Education Collaboration of 11 lower east side schools.The Friends School event was one of more than 140 programs and activities tied to the Neighborhoods Day.

Community groups participating include Goodwill Industries of Detroit, Skillman Foundation Good Neighborhoods Initiative (which hosted events in all 6 of their "Skillman Good Neighborhoods"), Community Service Coalition, Accounting Aid Society, THAW, DTE Energy, Dearborn Village Community Credit Union, State Rep. Rashida Talib, National Community Development Institute, Henry Ford Health Systems and Covenant Community Care and Habitat for Humanity.

For more information and interactive maps, visit: http://www.arisedetroit.org/

Redeux News: F*R*E*E Construction Industry Training!

As the Stimulus Funds continue to filter down to Michigan (yes, there is still some Stimulus money left...) there WILL be good-paying construction jobs soon. But to qualify, you must be QUALIFIED. If you or someone you know would like f*r*e*e training for construction jobs, see below.
(Thanks to ARISE! Detroit for this information found in their e-newsletter.)

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Detroit Construction Career Center

Free!
Residential Construction Training 

For More Information Contact:
Young Detroit Builders 
Orientation held on Mondays 1:00pm at:
Young Detroit Builders
1950 Trumbull Avenue (St. Peter's Church; corner of Michigan Ave & Trumbull)
For information call: 313-256-7280 or 313-256-7291 or 
contact: jportis@youngdetroitbuilders.org
www.youngdetroitbuilders.org

A partnership project between the Detroit Workforce Development Department, Young Detroit Builders, and local employers to provide unemployed adults and displaced workers with classroom and hands-on education and skills in residential construction.

Classes include a Core Curriculum and Residential Carpentry I and II for 5 up to 17 weeks. Areas of study include safety, hand and power tools, blueprint reading, construction math, communication and employability skills. Tools, textbooks, and safety gear are provided. Includes specialized training in weatherization, lead abatement, deconstruction, first aid/CPR, and job placement assistance.

Participants receive Certifications from the National Homebuilders Institute and the National Center for Construction Education and Research. Must have the following documents for certification:

-Social Security Number proof
-Proof of age
-Citizenship/Alien Status
-Selective Service registration
-Proof of residency
-Family income documents

Young Detroit Builders

You Are What You Eat Michiganders!

On Tuesday, August 25, 2009, Jennifer Granholm stood outside of Peaches & Greens, a local Detroit produce store and announced the launch of a food service program that would provide fresh produce to city neighborhoods. A much
needed service for local residents who's diets are suffering due to the recent economic recession.

Detroit has been identified as a place where quality groceries and produce are not readily available. Many Detroit residents are forced to shop for groceries at convenience stores and gas stations because there are few real grocery stores inside the city limits. Many of those have limited operating hours and inflated prices.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm

The innovative program labeled MI (pronounced "my") Neighborhood Food Movers, is the result of a partnership between the state and three nonprofit organizations. In addition to Peaches
& Greens, Up South Foods and Field of Our Dreams
will be joining the team of produce companies that
are expected to hit the streets for a 4-month trial period.

Granholm's program, which will be funded by a $75,000 low-interest loan from the state, will deliver fruits and vegetables to residents with a vendor-style truck, according to the Detroit Free Press. When the produce truck, which will bear a MI Neighborhood Food Movers logo, roves through neighborhoods on a fixed route and schedule, residents in Michigan’s largest city will have the option of healthier food choices and easier access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

Food Movers is focusing on three areas: one bounded by Woodward Ave., Dexter, W. Grand Blvd. and Glendale; the Jefferson/Chalmers area on the East Side; and Forest, E. Jefferson, Mt. Elliott and Conner. Some Detroiters counter that the program may not be successful due to the limitations to routes as well as the "lackadaisical" mentality of many Detroiters who don't seem to take well to programs no matter the convenience or benefit to their overall health.

Jocelyn Harris, 59, a Detroiter who is the proprietor of Up South Foods, appeared overjoyed with the announcement. "This is a miraculous day indeed for many Detroit residents and a dream come true for me," said the former Detroit science teacher. "I can feel this project is destined for greatness."

After the 4-month trial period, the Food Movers program is expected to be able to expand to include more local vendors covering a broader range of geographic areas.

Op-Ed: 12-Step Program for Detroit Step Four

Every Wednesday, there is an Op-Ed piece about Detroit, and I am working on a series about a "12-Step" Program for Detroit. Not about our city's "leadership", but about the regular people who live and work in Detroit. Detroit and Detroiters are more and better than the current crop of "leaders"; and it is up to us to help to make Detroit what it can and should be.

In the the first post of this series, I asked if Detroit needed "emergency surgery". As the weeks have gone on, issues "up top" have actually gotten worse. So, each week we examine ourselves and how we can be the ones we have been waiting for.

Step Four involves taking a " moral inventory of ourselves"...so this is a good time to take an inventory of Detroit, the City. What is right and good about the city? What has gone wrong? We can we do to fix what's wrong and improve upon what's right? Sometimes it's good to step back, take a deep breath, take a walk on the Detroit Riverwalk, and just do a mental exercise.



Often people say: there's so much to do, there are so many different groups doing different things, and I'm only one person, I just don't know where to start!

One place to start is with a group that works to bring together all of the diverse organizations in Detroit: ARISE Detroit! ARISE is an acronym that stand for "Activating" "Resources" and "Inspiring" "Service" and "Empowerment".

The goals of ARISE Detroit include helping citizens to become aware of the network of community organizations and services and getting people involved in making Detroit and its neighborhoods and communities to work better.

This Saturday, August 2 2008, is the annual Neighborhoods Day for ARISE Detroit; over 100 different activities will be taking place all day in every part of the City, including Highland Park, and even reaching out to Southfield and West Bloomfield.

Luther Keith, the Executive Director of ARISE Detroit, has a vision about Detroit that correlates with the purpose of the current Wednesday Series on this blog: that Detroit can be a city where children and families are safe, healthy, and strong; and that the City and everyone who lives and works here has a spirit of hope, gets involved in community service, and realizes that we are the true leaders in Detroit.

For a excellent way to take inventory of Detroit and to find organizations where you can be of assistance, attend the ARISE Detroit activities near you this Saturday. You will be sure to find a way to get involved. See you on Saturday; and I look forward to your comments here.

Shameless Plug: please read my husband's blog The "D" Spot...

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