Week 2

After arson destroyed their former location, American Indian Health and Family Service (AIHFS) found a new home on Lawndale Street, right off of Michigan Avenue. Sold to the organization for a dollar by the archdiocese, this location has allowed the organization to grow as a primary care clinic, behavioral health clinic, community center, and as an overall resource to the native population of southeastern Michigan. This place does just about everything it can for the community, offering fitness classes, cooking classes, a suicide prevention program, cultural events, Affordable Care Act enrollment, gardening workshops, immunizations, diabetes management services, youth programs, and a long list of other services. AIHFS, through all programs and services, aims to “empower and enhance the physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental wellbeing of American Indian families and other underserved populations in Southeast Michigan through culturally grounded health and family services”.

As AIHFS has grown as an organization, the programs offered by AIHFS require more space. Unfortunately, recent flooding in Detroit caused considerable damage to the basement of the organization’s main building. This space was used for indoor events, housed a commercial kitchen, and was used for many functions of the organization. AIHFS, due to both the flood and restrictive size of their current property, has decided to look for a new location where they can continue to grow, provide essential services, and find new ways to serve the native community.

As part of my DCBRP internship, I am conducting a facilities needs assessment to report on the overall needs of the organization as the administration looks for potential properties. I am not there to determine the needs of the organization or its clients; rather, I am there to learn about their organization by consolidating and reporting the expressed and demonstrated needs of the staff and clients of AIHFS. To do this, I will be conducting demographic research, community surveys, staff surveys, interviews, and focus groups. I will be accompanying administrative staff and board members on site visits, going to community meetings, and immersing myself in the organization.

As I start to chip away at my large project at AIHFS, I am also utilizing my time to explore Detroit. From attending my first professional baseball game in Comerica Park to shopping for produce at the Eastern Market, I always look forward to exploring the city’s sights, sounds, and eats. Having always lived in a rural setting before attending Michigan, I am observing the differences, large and small (pun intended), between the two settings. As I reflect on my first week and a half in Detroit, I know that I have already grown and I’m excited to continue this adventure.