The University Record, April 16, 2001

Volunteers serve Detroit community

U-M Photo Services photographer Marcia L. Ledford accompanied Detroit Project student volunteers on March 31 as they worked to repair and restore an abandoned house and lot in Detroit’s Brightmoor neighborhood. Her photos document the work done by U-M and other volunteers to clear the lot and home of debris, to repair the existing structure, and to plant trees and restore the property. Approximately 2,000 volunteers from southeast Michigan took part in the day’s community service activities.

The Detroit Project, a group begun in October 1999 at the U-M, works with more than 16 community organizations in the Detroit area. These include the Brightmoor Community Center, Emmanuel Child Care, Grandmont/Rosedale Development Corp., The Greening of Detroit, Habitat for Humanity Detroit, Motor City Blight Busters, Northwest Detroit Neighborhood Development and Rosedale Park/Northwest Detroit Co-op Preschool. Projects range from building playgrounds to demolishing dilapidated buildings to helping with clothing and food drives.

Interested students, faculty, staff and community members can register online for community service projects at The Detroit Project’s Web site, www.umich.edu/~thedp.