A.A. Van Elslander Foundation awards $1 million grant to SAY Detroit for Annex
SAY Detroit received a $1 million grant from the A.A. Van Elslander Foundation to help fund the construction of “The Kelly and Matthew Stafford & Friends Education Center” on the grounds of the SAY Play Center at Lipke Park in northeast Detroit. The new 15,000-square-foot annex will include additional classrooms, learning labs and an auditorium.
We are thankful to the A.A. Van Elslander Foundation, Kelly and Matthew Stafford and so many of YOU, who have contributed to this exciting project. SAY Detroit and SAY Play look forward to expanding our services to host a growing and diverse range of programming for Detroit children, teens and adults. For more information, please read the press release. If you are interested in making a gift, visit our giving page.
SAY Play Center supports Mental Health
Mental health does not discriminate. Those we serve at the SAY Detroit Play Center face challenging obstacles; including adverse childhood experiences such as food insecurity, high levels of parental stress, socio-economic adversity, and exposure to community violence. The pandemic has only worsened and added to these issues.
We are proud to offer mental health support to our students at SAY Play. In partnership with the Wayne State University School of Social Work we established LiveWELL. LiveWELL provides on-site counseling from a licensed master social worker and two social work interns. Students and their families have access to one-on-one crisis management and referrals to treatment. We also created a dedicated “chill zone” for students and staff to experience the benefits of safe and quiet space.
2021 SAY Detroit Radiothon Success!
Thursday, December 9th was the tenth annual SAY Detroit Radiothon. Throughout 15 hours of live radio programming, listeners were invited to celebrate SAY Detroit’s commitment to help improve the lives of Detroit’s neediest citizens. The 2021 SAY Detroit Radiothon raised more than $1.65 million and helped propel radiothon fundraising totals to more than $10 million over a decade.
“I was absolutely stunned by the incredible generosity of Michiganders,” Mitch Albom told the Detroit Free Press. “In a year that has been tough for everyone, we dug deep to help the most needy. That’s who we are. I am so proud of our state, our listeners, and the people of SAY Detroit who make it an inspiring source of good in our city.”
Please see the news story for fun highlights.
Shop AmazonSmile
It’s the holiday season! AmazonSmile is an easy way to support SAY Detroit every time you shop at Amazon, at no cost to you. Simply click here and select SAY Detroit as your preferred charity, and always use smile.amazon.com when making your purchases. The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from eligible purchases. Happy shopping!
