This summer I am working with Friends of Parkside. FOP is a small nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and bettering the community in The Village at Parkside, a public housing project in East Detroit housing around 275 low-income families. FOP collaborates with residents, board members, volunteers, businesses and community partners to empower residents through resources such as after school and summer youth programs, a public access computer lab; workshops on computer literacy, household management, and other essential skills; a bi-monthly food pantry distribution, and so much more. FOP outlines four specific goals in its mission statement:
A healthy, drug-free, and safe Parkside Community, especially for pregnant women, infants, and youth.- An informed and knowledgeable community willing to work together to address issues that threatens the quality of life in the Parkside Community.
- Gainful employment, businesses, and personal growth opportunities in the Parkside Community.
- Families and individuals committed to improving the community.
Even though the focus of FOP’s efforts is directed toward the Parkside residents, most of their resources are open to residents of the surrounding neighborhoods as well, making it a central hub of sorts. My projects for the summer are both examples of this– the first part of my summer will mostly focus on the coordination and planning of the annual Parkside Health Fair on July 15. The purpose of the event is to connect residents and other attendees with health care resources and relevant community partners to ensure they are able to get the services they need; and basic screenings, immunizations, and workshops allow people to take preventive health care measures and learn more about how they can take reduce risk and improve their general level of health and well-being.
The second part of my summer will focus more on creating an in-depth manual of operation for the food distribution program hosted by FOP. I had the opportunity to observe and help out with the first June distribution day this Wednesday, and it was definitely a hectic and exhausting day for everyone involved. I’m excited for the opportunity to learn more about the food pantry system, and I think there is a lot of potential for research in this project, particularly in determining what factors are making the core group of ‘regular’ food pantry members so heavily dependent on it, and identifying what other programs and resources could potentially help to address this.
The second week of my summer in Detroit has been even better than the first, and I’ve gotten to do so many new things both for work and in my free time. It’s getting easier to find ways to get involved in the communities around me as I meet and network with new people, and I’m really excited for all that I have yet to explore and learn about this city.
