Nonprofit leaders across southeast Michigan will contribute their thoughts via journal entries on how this unique confluence of events (COVID, vaccinations, climate change, racial justice, etc.) is affecting their organizations and the nonprofit sector.
The stories and journals will narrate through nonprofit leaders and capture the impact and vitality that these organizations bring to their communities as well as their journey during these unprecedented times.
This series is made possible with the generous support of our partners, the Michigan Nonprofit Association and Co.act Detroit.
"In caring for people, it can be a challenge when others, justifiably, want to know your measurable outcomes," says Todd Gordon, volunteer executive director of WAVE Project. "But, when somebody asks me how we're helping people not be homeless, I say, we're not. That's not why we exist. We exist to love people first."
"On an international border, we're only going to continue seeing refugees, asylum seekers and those seeking humanitarian relief," says Elizabeth Orozco-Vasquez, CEO of Freedom House Detroit. "This is a huge service we provide in the city. We need to remind people these are members of our community."
"We feel we are David going up against Goliath. Our need is greater than our current capacity, and our funding is limited," says Patrick Patterson, executive director at Blue Water Recovery Outreach Center. "Many people have turned to drugs and self-harm during these lonely months of isolation. We're here to offer our community hope, what everyone needs to push forward and be successful."
"We have a six-month waitlist for our mental health providers. We need to hire more therapists and mental health staff," says Versell Smith, Jr., executive director of The Corner Health Center in Ypsilanti. "When a young person comes forward to say, 'I need help,' we need to be able to deliver help to them that day."
As the sector faces growing complexities, many organizations are realizing their old ways of doing things are no longer working. Is now an opportunity to ask bold questions and create new visions of governance for the future?
"Justice and joy are continuing themes in our creative work," says Vickie Elmer, co-founder and executive director at Mint Artist Guild. "Creativity really does flourish in challenging times, like Mint growing all over the city and the state."
"The biggest challenge for most single families is housing," says Jeri Hunley, founder and executive director of Single Family Living. "I don't care how many people say they're making sure we have affordable housing for families. It's not true. What's considered to be affordable is a joke. Most single parents are working at least two to three jobs to provide and care for their family."
"When a school building closes, in many ways that becomes a dagger to the heart of hope for a community," says Chris Lambert, founder and CEO of Life Remodeled. "And schools don’t close overnight, but rather as the result of decades of disinvestment, which in Detroit, is directly linked to issues of systemic racism."
"As communities, we have a big task to fill what's been lost for students in the pandemic," says Andrea Meyer, executive director for the Center for Success Network. "I’m inspired by our mentors, this huge network of people who give up their time and talent to be with our amazing kids. They're all saying, this is important, we need to do this, and they're willing to ask, how can we do this together?"
"Soon, we plan to be able to deliver a curated and equitable mix of everything we get on a daily basis to everyone we serve," says Kirk Mayes, CEO of Forgotten Harvest. "Through our new data-based approach, we hope to provide families with not just a part of the solution, but the whole solution. For us, this means there's a healthy, nutritious, wholesome meal that actually quenches the thirst of hunger."
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