On Wednesday August 2, over 60 people from Grosse Pointe chose to recognize the 50th anniversary of the Detroit Riots by working to clean up blight with their Detroit neighbors. Volunteers came from Grosse Pointe Rotary, Grosse Pointe Memorial Church, Grosse Pointe Chamber of Commerce and the Family Center, among other groups.
Excerpt from the Grosse Pointe News:
More than 11,000 volunteers came together the week of July 31 to remove blight and board up houses as part of Life Remodeled, a Detroit-based nonprofit working to restore Detroit neighborhoods.
More than 1,000 volunteers worked inside the former Durfee Middle School building — a 143,000-square-foot building built in 1927 — as part of a two-year renovation project to build a community innovation center.
Among the laborers in this year’s project — which set a record for most volunteers (11,032), most city blocks of blight removed (367) and most vacant houses boarded up (534) — were 60 from Grosse Pointe Memorial Church and Rotary of Grosse Pointe. Many of them were touched by the experience — the tasks of which included everything from pulling staples to clearing brush.
“It’s historically a tough area,” said Peter Stroh, a Life Remodeled first-timer and Rotary member. “This mobilization of 11,032 is just an incredible achievement. Coming together, working toward a central goal, is the one thing that was really fulfilling to me.
“(I) truly enjoyed my inaugural experience,” he continued, “surprised with all we were asked to do, proud of the enthusiasm with which we all attacked the challenges of the jobs, pleased to know we left the classrooms and neighborhood in far better condition than they’ve been in many years.”
Stroh worked inside the Durfee building removing “anything fixed to the walls."
“(I) truly enjoyed my inaugural experience,” he continued, “surprised with all we were asked to do, proud of the enthusiasm with which we all attacked the challenges of the jobs, pleased to know we left the classrooms and neighborhood in far better condition than they’ve been in many years.”
Stroh worked inside the Durfee building removing “anything fixed to the walls."
Local volunteers were rallied for the outing largely due to the efforts of Rotarian Ted Everingham and Memorial member Howard Hill.
“It’s almost a spiritual experience for people,” Everingham said. “People came away uplifted. It moved people in different ways.”
Most participants said they’re happy to do it again next year. Hill said he was impressed with the number of volunteers Memorial and Rotary brought. When he participated last year, there were five. This year’s 60 volunteers give him hope next year’s numbers will top 100.
Everingham, who with Hill and others worked outside, clearing brush and debris from a home, said he was moved a few times during the project — first when a neighbor borrowed tools to trim his own hedges and clean up his yard.
“Our volunteers started going up and sweeping up his clippings,” he said. “People who don’t look like one another working on this man’s home and it made a difference, going in and fixing a neighborhood we’ve never seen before and may never go to again.”
Another moment occurred when taking debris to the curb for garbage pickup, a passing motorist rolled down his window, gave Everingham the thumb’s up and said, “Nice job, brother.”
“It’s almost a spiritual experience for people,” Everingham said. “People came away uplifted. It moved people in different ways.”
Most participants said they’re happy to do it again next year. Hill said he was impressed with the number of volunteers Memorial and Rotary brought. When he participated last year, there were five. This year’s 60 volunteers give him hope next year’s numbers will top 100.
Everingham, who with Hill and others worked outside, clearing brush and debris from a home, said he was moved a few times during the project — first when a neighbor borrowed tools to trim his own hedges and clean up his yard.
“Our volunteers started going up and sweeping up his clippings,” he said. “People who don’t look like one another working on this man’s home and it made a difference, going in and fixing a neighborhood we’ve never seen before and may never go to again.”
Another moment occurred when taking debris to the curb for garbage pickup, a passing motorist rolled down his window, gave Everingham the thumb’s up and said, “Nice job, brother.”
Added Everingham, “They’re bringing a whole new life to this whole building.”