The Center for Urban Youth & Family Development is competing with nine community centers located across the country to win a $50,000 extreme makeover, Courtesy of Maxwell House and its “Drops of Good” nationwide community project. Fueled by a partnership with Rebuilding Together, the Drops of Good program brings together loyal Maxwell House drinkers and the communities that could use their help. The makeovers do more than just renovate spaces. They give community centers and the populations they serve a renewed sense of hope and pride. The three community centers receiving the most votes between now and June 8 will win the money along with labor provided by the Rebuilding Together organization. The seven remaining community centers will be awarded a $5,000 prize.

The Center for Urban Youth and Family Development is preparing to renovate a house in Detroit for use as a semi-independent residence for youth ages 17-21 that have aged out of the foster care system and are in need of a place to call “home.” The cash prize along with the free labor provided by Maxwell House and Rebuilding Together would be a great blessing to the Center and will allow the renovation to happen much faster than we could hope to complete on our own.

Semi-independent living provides affordable housing to those who are looking to become independent, but aren’t quite ready or able to live on their own. Semi-independent living allows for environments that are structured and supervised, yet allow these young adult residents to begin gaining their independence and the knowledge they will need to fully live on their own and become self-supporting. The semi-independent living arrangement the Center wants to create will offer:

A residential assistant that makes frequent visits to the home
Regular drug testing of all residents
Life skills and workforce development workshops
A safe and welcoming environment that allows the residents to focus on other important aspects of their life besides housing – including employment, education and personal health