This afternoon, Banika Jones walked through the doors of a refurbished home on Custer Street in Detroit to the cheers of onlookers. Banika was thrown into the public spotlight in January when she suffered a mother’s worst nightmare–the disappearance of her two year-old daughter, Bianca. Last month, the girl’s father was charged with her murder. Shorty after, Banika learned that she was going to lose her home because of her inability to pay the bills.
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Home Sweet Home for Texana Hollis
The smell of fresh-baked cookies filled the air this afternoon as Texana Hollis, the 101-year old woman who was evicted last fall, finally returned to her home of sixty years. The house had received a complete makeover after the HUD had deemed the conditions unlivable. Made possible by the efforts of Mitch Albom and SAY Detroit, the improved including a new roof, new carpeting and tile floors, freshly-painted walls, new kitchen cabinets, new appliances, a new heating system, and a newly built wheelchair accessible porch ramp.
It turns out you can go home again.
Mother Batie’s Kitchen Gets New Name, Look, and Life
Last fall, through The Heart of Detroit and a stirring article in the Free Press, Mitch introduced us to Mother Maude Batie. A pillar of the community, she has been serving hot meals to those in need for over 40 years. And today, with the help of local charities–and your generosity–Mother Batie’s Kitchen received a check for $100,000. This support means that she can remain in operation for at least two and a half years. Last October, she had just a week left.
A New Home and Car for Dale Jones and his family
A new home and a car to Dale Jones and his family through the Working Homes/Working Families program
Pastor Henry Covington Memorial Concert
The memorial concert honoring the late Pastor Henry Convington will be held December 23, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. at I Am My Brother’s Keeper Church in Detroit.
Special Christmas Home Makeover
PROJECT: A family in need in the community will be surprised this Christmas when they are given the keys to a home through the “Working Homes for Working Families” Program at Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries! The home will be ready on Saturday for our Time to Help volunteers to unload the truck full of furniture, beds, … Read more
Donors Help Make the “Detroit Dozen” a Reality
In September of 2011, Mitch Albom and the College for Creative Studies (CCS) announced a new project, the Detroit Dream Scholars Award. With a donation of $60,000 to fund four years of undergraduate education at CCS, Mitch also challenged 11 other donors in the arts and business communities to join him to build the ‘Detroit … Read more
Volunteers Needed at S.A.Y. Detroit Clinic
The S.A.Y. Detroit Family Health Clinic needs dedicated volunteer physicians and nurse practitioners (NP) to help us fulfill the mission of providing FREE healthcare to underserved women and children in the Detroit area. The Clinic currently sees close to 7,000 patients a year who are in desperate need of healthcare.
Mitch Launches the Detroit Dream Scholars Award
In his continuing partnership with the College for Creative Studies and the Dream Fund, Mitch Albom has donated $60,000 to establish the Detroit Dream Scholars Award. But there’s a catch: he’s challenged 11 other donors in the arts and business communities to join him to build the ‘Detroit Dozen’ in scholarships for a CSS education.