This week Challenge Detroit is featuring current fellow, Breeana Blackmon and her host company Coalition on Temporary Shelter (COTS).

Tell us about living in Detroit. What neighborhood do you live in and what things make it unique and exciting? 

I currently live in Lafayette Park near downtown Detroit. This also happens to be the neighborhood I grew up in. Living downtown or near downtown in any major city means that there is almost always something going on within walking distance. There is certainly never any shortage of events to partake in throughout the week and then of course there are plenty of restaurants, bards and the casino. However: as a lover of summer and the outdoors my favorite part of living in this area has always been the greenery and the close proximity to the Detroit River. Lafayette Park lives up to it’s name as it has two large open parks for it’s residents to take advantage of, and the Detroit Riverfront has continued to develop wonderfully over the years. It offers another wonderful recreational resource to Detroit residents near and far. As a lover of art the Dequindre Cut is also a welcomed asset to the neighborhood. Where train tracks once stood now exists a vibrant pathway where residents can bike and walk to the riverfront in one direction and Eastern Market in the other now exists. Which leads me to my final highlight of the neighborhood. Eastern Market has always been a great place to get fresh produce over the years and it has remained so. As an added plus it now offers various programs around health and wellness on market and nonmarket days, and Detroit residents have the option of using their EBT cards so that fresh fruits and vegetables are a little more accessible than before.

What have you learned from Challenge Detroit so far? 

My experience with Challenge Detroit so far has deepened my knowledge of the city from aspects that I may have never even thought to consider. I understand the history of my city much better than ever before. I also have a better understanding of it geographically and demographically. Since starting Challenge Detroit I have more of a birds eye view of the city and am continually understand more about how the city is operating through a systematic lens as opposed to only a communal lens.

Tell us more about your host company and your role in the organization. 

I work at Coalition on Temporary Shelter (COTS). COTS mission is to “alleviate homelessness by providing an array of services that enables people to achieve self-sufficiency and obtain quality affordable housing.” COTS is currently transitioning into a family only shelter and in the last year has begun to implement it’s Passport to Self-Sufficiency (PTS) framework. The PTS Framework “is a methodology currently in development within COTS to assist families in reaching their overall housing, economic/financial, health/wellbeing, education/training, and career/employment goals. Our resources are aimed at impacting the next generation. With housing as its foundation, this method combines participant-driven plans with coaching, mentoring, program and community partner resources, and meaningful incentives to facilitate families to develop economic self-sufficiency and stabilized environments that will have a multi-generational impact.” 

I work in the development department at COTS as a development engagement associate. Since beginning my work there I have assisted with putting on COTS fall annual fundraiser Leading Ladies, as well as their annual winter event Soup City. I’m also working on our social media and website development and look forward to helping with the further development over our overall PR strategies in the near future. In addition to this I do what a lot of the hardworking people at COTS do, help wherever I am needed.

We connected with Frankie Piccirilli, Interim Chief Development Officer at COTS and asked her, why did your organization choose to host a Challenge Detroit fellow? Here is what she shared:

COTS is grateful to host a Challenge Detroit fellow this year. We were very pleased with the work that the fellows did during year two and know that hosting a fellow on our development team would not only be a great fit but would allow us to continue to strengthen and grow our department and organization. 

What kind of impact do you hope to have with your host company and within the city? 

Homelessness has always been an issue I have been passionate about addressing. I am a firm believer in the idea that all citizens have the right to have their basic human needs met, and COTS is addressing that need in a way that is very necessary. However; COTS as the community members it serves are a part of a larger system at play, and the system that they are a port of is either not built in such a way that was meant to take care of all Detroit’s community members or it is failing to do so. Either way this is something that must change. People end up homeless for many reasons – debt, unexpected tragedy and unfortunately sometimes due to the mal intent of other community members. Regardless of reason we should be working hard to correct the flaws in the systems that are causing homelessness to the best of our abilities. I believe there are many ways in which we can do that, and I would like to make my impact in Detroit in this way.

If funding wasn’t a barrier, what opportunities, events or resources would you like to bring to Detroit and why? 

I don’t truly feel that funding is as big a barrier as we make it out to be. I think we need to be more critical of how money is being distributed across the city. Public money is being invested in many things in the city of Detroit right now, and the things being invested in are not always helping as many community members as it could and should be. As I’ve stated before I think meeting the basic needs of the city’s community members should come first. People should have access to quality housing, food, water, transportation, indoor and outdoor recreational facilities and educational opportunities.

In addition to this, something that is often overlooked as a basic necessity that I think should not be is mental health services. Mental health services is extremely important, not just for those that have already hit “rock bottom”, but as a preventative measure for all community members. Detroit is a majority black city, and it’s citizens have experienced and continue to experience systematic trauma on top of the everyday mental strain that already comes along with being a human being. The need for quality mental health services should not and cannot be overlooked if we ever want to see our community be the best it can be – for we are only as strong as our weakest or most neglected and underserved community member. Beyond these basic needs being met I think funding should go towards the arts and sciences, because they allow community members to thrive and evolve to their fullest potential.

What compelled to you apply to become a Challenge Detroit fellow?

I was compelled to apply to be a Challenge Detroit fellow, because it seemed like a great opportunity to make a real and significant impact on the city that I love alongside it’s community members with a group of passionate, talented, and skilled individuals.

To learn even more about Breeana’s experience in Detroit this year check out her video!