By the end of the day, our volunteers had served 227 meals and assisted over 200 guests.

The Greening of Detroit is a non-profit organization focused on enhancing the quality of life for Detroiters by planting trees, providing job training and involving our youth in the education of the natural environment. They involve Detroiters in the process through community engagement, green spaces, education and jobs. Since 1989, they have planted over 166,000 trees in the City of Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park. They continue to plant along city and residential streets and within parks and playgrounds.

These efforts help to provide cleaner air, better storm weather management, temperature control, and beautiful green spaces, making a long-lasting difference for Detroit residents for years to come!

• 172 mini Chicken Noodle soups;
• 294 full size Chicken Noodle soups;
• 284 Chicken Pot Pie soups;
• 336 Chicken Pot Pie spice packs; and
• 304 Chicken Noodle spice packs.

The day’s efforts yielded a total of 1390 completed mixes, valuing nearly $5500 in funds raised for local charities once the mixes are sold by Motown Soup in its shop and online at motownsoup.com. Thanks to our volunteers, Motown Soup is able to fund vital community programs around Michigan!

Twenty-six volunteers worked hard to prepare the facility for the school year ahead, taking on a variety of tasks including scrubbing bathrooms and windows, cleaning classrooms, and tidying up the building. Volunteers also helped improve the outdoor space by weeding the fence line around the football field and picking up trash around the center’s grounds.

Kim Hines, a recently retired school psychologist with 30 years of experience, was moved to join the A Time to Help opportunity after touring SAY Play during the summer. Finding it an ideal home to continue her passion for “inspiring kids to greatness,” Kim plans to tutor students in the center’s after-school academic programming.

Volunteers George Gomez and Jim Murdock teamed up to clear weeds around the football field, helping get the grounds ready for students to kick off fall sports at the Center. Mother-daughter duo, Veena Iyengar and Kavya Srinath, rolled up their sleeves to ensure the locker rooms were clean and ready to welcome students back to school.

Thanks the efforts of volunteers like Kim, George, Jim, Veena, and Kayva, the SAY Detroit Play Center is now refreshed and ready to welcome students for a summer of success!

A Time to Help volunteers will be gathered again on September 20 to assist the SAY Detroit Family Health Clinic (sign up here), and on October 25 at Motown Soup (sign up here).

On Saturday, March 29, ATTH volunteers spent the morning with Cass Community sorting bins and boxes full of old, secure documents to prepare them for shredding while others ran the sorted documents through an industrial shredder. The program is part of Green Industries initiative that since 2007 has provided secure services for doctors, lawyers, accountants and other professionals, all while providing vital jobs for workers with disabilities. The volunteer crew was supervised by Reverend Sue in a warehouse adjacent to their newest facility where they offer a private washroom with a shower and space to refresh, as well as an outdoor courtyard where they can enjoy lunch and dinner.

On Wednesday, April 2, volunteers formed assembly lines to create Focus:HOPE boxes filled with non-perishable items that will help to feed seniors in Detroit .They were able to unload 21 pallets, filling a total of 1,155 boxes!

And just this past Saturday (April 26), A Time to Help volunteers helped plant trees on Detroit’s east side in the play yard of Wayne Elementary with The Greening of Detroit. There were staff, students, and neighbors from this community out in the brisk weather to help enhance the atmosphere. The tree that ATTH volunteers planted is named Chika-Paul.  

We thank them for showing what it means to care about your neighbors. Sign up to join next event on May 3 — at SAY Play — or May 10 — a return to one of our favorite events at Motown Soup — at our volunteer platform here.

Program director Alexis Harvey of the SAY Detroit Family Health Clinic opened the session with an icebreaker that had the two-dozen plus seniors in attendance bubbling with laughter.

“When you were a kid playing outside and got thirsty, what would you drink from?’’  she asked.

“The water hose!’’ they all replied.

“When you woke up on a Saturday and heard Gospel music playing, what would you do?’’

“Clean the house!’’

“Finish this phrase,’’ taunted Harvey, “I’m sick and tired. . . ‘’

“Of being sick and tired!’’

When she asked the participants to chime in with other phrases they recalled from their youth, there was no shortage of answers: “I brought you into this world, I can take you out!’’ “You don’t live in no barn, close the door!’’ “Don’t touch nothin’, don’t ask for nothin’!’’

For Harvey, the goal of the session was to end the year with a smile — especially since Wellness Wednesdays doesn’t resume until Jan. 15, 2025. The final 20 minutes was dedicated to singing Christmas carols and other holiday songs before the women went “shopping’’ for produce and other items for next week’s Thanksgiving meal.

“It’s been a good year for the group,’’ Harvey said.

When asked what she’s grateful for, she said: “I’m grateful for my family because right now it’s the closest we’ve ever been, me and my siblings. And I still have both of my parents, and I’m really grateful for that!’’

SAY Detroit and its A Time to Help program were represented at the event (thanks Jean Yee!), and on Saturday (Oct. 5) they returned for an encore to help Motown Soup, an all-volunteer nonprofit, with a packaging project aimed at restocking its store.

“We couldn’t do what we do without volunteers like you participating,’’ said Dan Kennedy, Motown Soup’s superstar volunteer who coordinated Saturday’s project. “Last year we supported 47 different charities with some kind of funding. We’re doing great work, and you’re doing great work.’’

Located in the lower level of Trinity Lutheran Church in Utica, Motown Soup (motownsoup.com) sells it products online and at craft fairs. They’re scheduled to host an Open House for the public on Nov. 23-24 at Trinity Lutheran. The nonprofit’s two-decade run of giving has resulted in more than $2 million in funding donated to charities in Michigan that support the unhoused and hungry.

Earlier this year, SAY Detroit received $4,000 from Motown Soup to support its hot-meal program for Detroit youth at the SAY Play Center at Lipke Park.

On Saturday, ATTH volunteers packaged 1,514 mixes and spices. The team that packaged the most was “Chicken Pot Pie Spice” (460 — not the first time this team was a winner).

As always, a great event!

Parker Village was established by Juan Shannon in October 2015 to provide citizens in Highland Park with fresh, locally grown food distribution by operating a small-scale farmers market. They also provide fresh vegetables on a weekly basis to the SAY Detroit Family Health Clinic. On the 43,000 sq ft, former home of Thompson Elementary School, Parker Village has over 200 garden beds. The first solar powered-smart street light in the midwest was installed there in 2018; a second was added in 2020 along with a second installation, a water and power shed, along with a solar pergola.

Juan, Monica, Yetu, Carol, & Roy of Parker Village are extremely grateful for all of the help and time everyone put in! Stay tuned for recurring opportunities at Parker Village and join us Saturday, August 17 when we help Detroit Hives with some landscaping and gardening on the site of their newest pollinator habitat.