8300 Longworth - Detroit, MI 48209 - Phone: (313) 451-8380 - Fax: (313) 841-7926 - Email: [email protected] Reasons to Celebrate This Year in Southwest Detroit’s Springwells Village: Imagine a Detroit neighborhood where teens labor with excitement and pride to improve parks and public spaces, where delighted adults enthusiastically contribute gloves, pizza and encouragement? Imagine young people who instead of tagging with graffiti are commissioned by community residents and business owners to create public art? We’re all barraged by media reports of people who can’t get along and politicians and communities that cannot get things done. In our corner of Detroit, true, there is crime, blight, vacated structures and occupied homes sorely in need of repair and a lot of need; 30% of the households have less than $15,000 in annual income. But then there is joy! Young people in UNI youth employment programs are discovering that the pleasure and fulfillment that comes from making a community beautiful can be exciting. Young people in our Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) program tell these stories: “My first job at DNR taught the importance of responsibility. I’ve learned that teamwork, respect, and being on time play a big role. Our community is so much bigger than we realize, it is our home. When we started DNR there were several parks in good condition, but good is only average so we made them great! It feels good knowing you’re doing things for others instead of yourself.” Deshamarie Lopez “I love helping my community and love working with the people I work with.” Esteban Lopez We love these kids! Their enthusiasm gives meaning and joy to the work of each one of us at UNI. This same spirit permeates our public art program, the young people and staff who produce it and the residents and businesses who commission and applaud it. Working here in Springwells Village is a privilege that you, our supporters make possible. Together, we are making the city shine. However, we have so much left to do. We have a world class staff dedicated to a realistic, creative, holistic and highly effective way of making life better in the city with special attention to the needs of low income families. Please consider donating to support work that is bringing joy to city life where there ample grounds for despair, that is celebrating service to community instead of exploitation, that is building life instead of diminishing it. Thank you for any and every form of support you are able to give this year. On behalf of our board and staff, I wish you the very best during the holiday season and in 2015, Dennis Nordmoe, Executive Director December 2014 Celebrating seventeen years of neighborhood development www.unidetroit.org . www.facebook.com/uni.detroit . www.twitter.com/uni_detroit Board of Directors: Michael Boryca, Mike Clement, Stephanie Mason, Nina Rodriguez, John Solano, Dennis Waitzman, Mary Wallace The DNR youth employment program is organized and supervised by UNI’s Christine Bell, Michelle Lakey and Lisa Rodriguez. Wages and stipends are paid by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Yes! I would like to contribute to Urban Neighborhood Initiatives. ❑ $25 ($2.08/month) ❑ $50 ($4.16/month) ❑ $100 ($8.32/month) ❑ $500 ($41.60/month) ❑ $1000 ($83.20/month) ❑ Other: $_____________ I am paying by: ❑ Check made payable to UNI ❑ I am paying by credit card through the secure connection available through www.unidetroit.org (using processing by eTapestry donor services). Please use my contribution for: ❑ General Support ❑ _____________________________ Please help us keep our address book up to date. Name:_______________________________ Phone:_____________________ Address: __________________________________________ Please send electronic newsletters to my email: ______________________________________ This garage door mural was commissioned by a resident and executed by teens in UNI’s Southwest Urban Arts Mural Program (SUAMP), organized and supervised by Christine Bell and Megan Muma with artistic leadership and training by Janice Polzin of the College for Creative Studies. Springwells Village has one of Detroit’s largest concentrations of public art. SUAMP’s work earned the attention of CultureSource which featured our student artists in the September 2014 Blog by its Executive Director, Maud Lyon. See it at http://www.culturesource.org/executive-directors-blog/building-healthycommunities-through-art/. Student stipends and wages are paid for through City Connect. Workforce and Career Development Workshops are supported by the JPMorgan Chase Foundation as well as work experience with local businesses.