Jeni Olney, mentor and associate director for Social Innovation at optiMize, said: “For our Detroit-Track teams, there is a deep-rooted and often relentless commitment they have to themselves and their communities to share knowledge and resources and create impact together.” 

“We have all these strategies that black families are already engaging in. And then we also know from a clinical psychology perspective all of these tips and tricks and ways to discuss things better. So why not meld the two?”
~ Riana Anderson

The U-M Detroit Center will offer four sessions, grounded in the current context of the COVID-19 emergency, offering participants an opportunity to explore the resources that are available to address rapid response needs.

The classes are offered by the Silver Center, a virtual senior center that offers enrichment and educational programs via phone to help adults 60 years old or older stay connected. While the program started before the pandemic, organizers hope it will mitigate some of the negative health and social impacts caused by social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Failing to ensure more Detroiters can stay in their homes will increase the likelihood of a resurgence of COVID-19 in the city and surrounding areas, as having a stable place to live is critical to social distancing.

Amy Good’s work with Alternatives For Girls was inspired by a challenge she received from professor emerita Rosemary Sarri as she neared graduation from U-M’s School of Social Work. “She said, ‘Do something hard, and build something that wasn’t there before,” Good said. 

People living in poverty and the working poor will have an especially difficult time weathering the global pandemic, which is taking a toll on people’s economic security and health, said H. Luke Shaefer, director of Poverty Solutions.

The survey found Detroiters are most concerned about being able to care for family and friends and getting the health care they need during the coronavirus pandemic, even more so than having a place to live and access to transportation. 

“I hope that the work of our foundation, and the people we have invested in, will create a ripple effect of social justice for years to come.”
~ David Bohnett