Just as one week was checked of the calendar, another one starts to edge it’s was closer and closer to the past time frame. Working at Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision for little over a week now has allowed me to realize all of the potential of our own efforts. Simply looking at out projected timeline for our Anti-Idling Program here at SDEV give me high hopes, due to the fact that one day our actions as an organization will continue to create and foster new hopes for the community.
As an organization Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision (SDEV) aim to strengthen and support the environment and the community here in Southwest Detroit Area. As an organization being integrated into community give a whole new level to the meaning behind their mission statement. All together they are not only working to help a community, but we are working with the community in the front lines to make the biggest impact they can. At this stage, our main research deals with Anti-Idling and the effects it can have on the population of Southwest Detroit. Since the effects are for the most part widely know to academia we need to do our part to spread that knowledge to the community at large. As a result, we need to use what we know from the harmful effects of diesel fuel emissions in an effort to stop diesel trucks from entering the community areas around Southwest Detroit, like Park Clark, in an effort to reduce the harmful effect that the trucks posses once they idle in the area. Knowing this we need to make sure that we approach the situation in a manner that puts into regard the many perspectives that are hand in this case so that no one is unfairly underrepresented.
Overall, my first week in Midtown of Detroit has been wonderful. Living in Southwest Detroit all my life I never really had the opportunity to explore other regions of Detroit for extended periods of time. As a result, living in Midtown Detroit has exposed me to new and amazing places, and at this rate I hope to only venture into many more.
It’s so weird how you can live somewhere all your life and never experience somewhere right around the corner. I’m kind of in the same position. I grew up in Detroit as well and though I’ve heard of the Brightmoor neighborhood, I’ve never spent any time there.
I am so glad there are organizations out there like SDEV because big corporations have been exploiting this area for too long at the expense of poor residents. I agree that lack of knowledge by citizens is a major reason why the culprits keep getting away with polluting. A more informed community can stand up and demand change better than a few handful of people. Thanks for doing all you do!
Great post! I understand exactly what you mean when you talked about living in Detroit . I’ve lived on the east side my whole live and I attended school in Midtown, but I am going places that I’ve never been before! Detroit is a lot bigger and has more to offer than I thought. I hope to venture out even more as well!