One Focus; Focus:HOPE

Over the course of this 9 week program I will be working with Detroit community non-profit Focus:Hope. This year Focus:Hope just celebrated it’s 50th year. According to the organization’s website their mission is to:

“Recognize the dignity and beauty of every person, to pledge intelligent and practical action to overcome racism, poverty, and injustice. And to build a metropolitan community where all people may live in freedom, harmony, trust and affection. Black and white, yellow, brown and red from Detroit and its suburbs of every economic status, national origin and religious persuasion we join in this covenant.” Adopted March 8, 1968

Focus:Hope seeks to service this end through a multi-level intervention strategy. Examples of their strategy include a food pantry where low income seniors can come and obtain basic food on a monthly basis. On my first day at the organization I got to tour this part of the campus and it was pretty cool to see the massive warehouse of food and all of the volunteer efforts that go into this specific program. Another example of a direct intervention method would be the Apprenticeship programs that they offer as well as the early career programs. The outcome of these programs can be a an entry level job in a career field such as factory work. These programs are attended by people as far away from Ohio but are designed for the people within the Hope Village Neighborhood.

About three years ago in an effort to use it’s resources more efficiently Focus:HOPE decided to consolidate their resources to what they have dubbed “Hope Village”. Hope Village is a 1 mile, or 100 block neighborhood that Focus:Hope sits in the middle of. My project is a data heavy, research based project that seeks to evaluate the current status of the neighborhood since this initiative launched. The final culmination of my project is to draft a report that I will share with the organization and invested partners to show them where they are at in terms of meeting their 2031 goals.

My first week at my placement was filled with reading and research. I spent the week getting acquainted with the initiative, the organization and the research that has already gone into this effort that is the Hope Village Initiative. The first week there was a lot to take in, I found myself feeling tired and overwhelmed at the end of the week, even doubting if I was going to be able to measure up to what is being asked of me. Since then I am still nervous and don’t really know if I am up to the task of what is being asked of me but I guess there is only one way to find out. Every day I feel a little more comfortable, Bash and Shay help me keep my sanity by offering laughs and smiles as I need them. Lastly, I have yet to fail to rise to a challenge and I don’t intend to start now.