Fellows Mary Ann Palazzolor, Michael Gilmore, Kathy Tian, Betsy Berens, Bithiah Lee, Leigh Ann Ulrey, Isaac Gilman, Zac Berlin, and Jared Berman prepare to board up 100-houses around Cody High School.
Imagine a neighborhood in your city that has the reputation of being dangerous and dilapidated. Now, imagine showing up in that neighborhood on Saturday morning and rather than seeing empty streets scattered with trash, you hit a traffic jam caused by 400 people who have showed up to spend their day giving their energy to help provide a basic need, safety. The scene I just asked you to paint in your head is exactly what happened in the Cody High School neighborhood on the West side of Detroit for the 100 Houses Project. 100 Houses is an initiative sponsored by Mitch Albom’s A Time to Help, the Detroit Rescue Mission, Mayor Dave Bing, and Detroit Public Schools to target a neighborhood’s most dangerous homes to board up the windows and make the yards safer.
Cody High School is often known for its reputation of having treacherous neighborhoods and hallways; however, I got to see the high school used as a community center. ROTC students helped direct people, other students and their families were present to volunteer, and Detroiters and Metro Detroiters from outside the neighborhood all came together for a common purpose, to make the neighborhood safer for students so they have one less worry during their day.
Fellows Jackie Smith, Caroline Dobbins, and James Serbinski clean up the neighborhood around Cody High School.
As a former City Year Corps member, I had many conversations with the middle school students that I tutored about the fears they had every day walking to and from school because of the vacant homes that hid a slew of dangerous scenarios. When I heard about this project, the purpose was automatically personal for me.
After inspirational words from Mitch Albom, Mayor Dave Bing, and many more, the group of volunteers was posed with the task of not just boarding up 100 houses; but rather, to board up 150 abandoned homes and leave the yards clean of trash and with trimmed shrubbery. Normally this feat would seem impossible but standing in Cody High School’s gymnasium with over 400 volunteers, including a dozen of my Challenge Detroit colleagues, I felt empowered to make Monday a safer walk to school for the students in the neighborhood.
Fellow Betsy Berens tackles a yard clean up project in the neighborhood around Cody High School.
My crew spent the entire day trying to make one home’s yard clean and safe. By the end of the day we filled two dozen trash bags and 25 ft worth of the street’s curb. What was most striking was a pile in the far back of the yard that appeared to be a family’s life possessions. We unearthed an extensive VHS collection, college text books, boots, and gardening tools and as I was trying to clear this ‘trash’ I felt uneasy because I saw many similarities with my family. The abandoned homes in Detroit were made for families to grow and prosper and it is very easy to forget about the faces and memories that are left behind. I assume that the family that left this home never wanted it to cause harm to the community and I feel that my crew and I gave the home a piece of closure by ensuring that the house does not bring danger and fear to the neighbors for the time being. Communities in Detroit are beginning to grow and take a new shape and I see initiatives like 100 Houses as being a supportive step towards that positive change.
Contributed by Leigh Ann Ulrey, Fellow