It was formed in February, 2006, after author and journalist Mitch Albom went public with a plea to do as much for the homeless all year as the city was doing over one Super Bowl weekend. He spent a night in a shelter to call attention to the issue. The response was overwhelming, and S.A.Y. Detroit became a fully-formed 501(c)(3) charity that serves as an umbrella organization for major programs to improve the lives of Detroit’s neediest citizens—from cradle to career, and beyond.