This year the focus of our MLK Day of Service was Social Justice. In collaboration with NCADD and MYOI we hosted the 2015 MLK Day of Service: Reflections on Social Justice Symposium. We had guest speaker Kevin Phelps who told his story on social justice in America, and our keynote speaker was the Honorable Ulysses Boykin who discussed current events happening throughout the nation and how they effect social justice in our community. Thank you to all who came out, and a special thank you to the students from MYOI who participated.
MLK Day of Service: Pure Peace & Beauty Art Exhibit
Monday January 20, 2014 was Martin Luther King Day of Service and The Center For Urban Youth & Family Development marked the occasion by presenting “PURE PEACE & BEAUTY ART EXHIBIT” featuring the works of emerging African American Artist Brandon Foster. ”What better tribute could we have made in commemorating the legacy of Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, than to bring cultural awareness through art to the community?” The event took place at the CUYFD Living & Learning Center located at 15827 Indiana Street on Detroit’s west side. The art exhibit took place from 1:00pm to 3:00pm and was open and free to the public The art exhibit featured over 30 works of art created by artist Brandon Foster including the mural that was done while Mr. Foster was a CUYFD resident (pictured below). Brandon was recently awarded a commission from STARR Commonwealth to do a sculpture for the entry way of their Detroit facility. Brandon is a former employee of CUYFD and also an alumnus of the 2013 Step Beyond Program. Mr. Foster was recently featured in the Michigan Chronicle “Living Well Magazine” and is currently completing his junior year at the College For Creative Studies.
The art exhibit was well attended and included representatives from the University of Michigan Detroit Center - Public Allies program. Also Mr. Foster’s relatives and friends were in attendance. Several of the pieces were purchased and Brandon indicated that the funds would be used to make payments on his tuition at CCS and to purchase art supplies.
Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness & Prevention
The Center For Urban Youth & Family Development collaborated with Laying The Foundation Agency, University of Michigan Detroit Center, Public Allies, Wayne County Department of Human Services-Michigan Youth Opportunities Initiative/Youth In Transition, and Citizens United For Youth Development Community Coalition to present a symposium on Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness and Prevention. The keynote address was presented by Ms. Rowan A. Latif, Wayne County Substance Abuse Coalition Program Director. The activity was held in recognition of April being Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Month and May being Foster Care Awareness Month. The event was a milestone for CUYFD in expanding our outreach to begin serving a larger demographic of greater metropolitan Detroit. While the target audience for the event was youth in or transitioning out of foster care, the symposium also served as an educational/training event for prevention professionals, social workers, and community activists. MCBAP Continuing Education Units were awarded to those individuals that completed the symposium. The CEU’s and certification was provided by Ms. Katherine Blakley, Executive Director of Laying the Foundation Substance Abuse Prevention Agency. The University of Michigan Detroit Center provided the facility and technical equipment and services for the symposium. Members of the Public Allies-Team Service Project along with members of Citizens United For Youth Development Community Coalition assisted CUYFD in organizing and coordinating the symposium as well as providing hostess service during the event.
The Wayne County Department of Human Services provided transportation and chaperones for the more than 25 young adults that are members of the Michigan Youth Opportunity Initiative to participate in the symposium. MYOI was developed by DHS to provide support such as life skills, financial management, time management, and work force development for youth transitioning into adulthood.
Faith Community Coalition On Foster Care Northwestern Regional Meeting
Ms. Annie Ray, Director of Wayne County Department of Human Services was the keynote speaker on Thursday May 29, 2014 as The Center For Urban Youth & Family Development hosted the FCCOFC Northwestern Region meeting at Hartford Memorial Baptist Church. Ms. Ray updated the coalition members on the status of youth in foster care in Wayne County, providing statistics on numbers of youth in care, ages, race, gender and other vital data. She also detailed the various programs and initiatives that have been launched to provide support for youth that are in care and transitioning out of foster care. Also Ms. Tracey McCullough, Education Planning Manager, Wayne County Department of Human Services and Mr. Lavern Robinson, Education Planning Supervisor, Wayne County DHS, presented the Educational Planning Process for YIT/MYOI participants and outlined the various “college assistant” and “transition to adulthood” programs available to youth in and transitioning out of foster care.
Other highlights of the evening included a presentation by Michele Austin, President of Foster Closet, a wonderful program designed for individuals to donated gently used and new items of clothing, furniture, and necessities for redistribution to foster parents and children. She currently operates one facility and will be opening a second location in June. Jennifer Brooks, from Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange shared information about the new “Prayer Cards” being used to spread information about youth available for adoption and other efforts underway to facilitated matches between youth and potential forever families. Trina Richardson, Faith-based Initiative Coordinator, Michigan Department of Human Services and Rev. Kate Thoresen provided updates about congregations across the state in action serving youth in foster care and supporting adoptive parents.
Greater Grace Temple represented by Lynda White and Westminster Church represented by Gail Mason collaborated with CUYFD/Hartford Missionary Baptist Church to co-sponsor the meeting. Several representatives from all three congregations attended the meeting along with members of MYOI/YIT. A big thank you goes out to Ms. Marjorie Bowens and her staff for providing transportation to the event for many of the youth that attended.
The Center is in the Drops of Good Campaign
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
The Center Wins $50,000
Marsialle Arbuckle, Executive Director of The Center for Urban Youth & Family Development was selected to receive the 2012 Hometown Health Hero Award for his work in Detroit and Livonia. Mr. Arbuckle launched The Center for Urban Youth & Family Development to offer substance abuse prevention, social skills development, academic and conflict resolution services to at-risk youth in the foster care system.