Saturday, August 2, 2008
Arise Detroit! holds citywide events on education, housing, health
Jessica Nunez / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- Hundreds, if not thousands, of people attended community events throughout the city Saturday as part of the second annual ARISE Detroit! Neighborhoods Day. From health screenings to college information sessions, people were connected with community services. More than 100 events took place.

On the east side, volunteers helped to build houses as part of Habitat for Humanity's effort to assist low and moderate income families purchase homes. In southwest Detroit, the business community participated in a shop your block event and on the west side, a group of urban violinists made the rounds performing for people.

"We connected with ARISE Detroit! because we wanted to make sure the message got out that the only way to improve a community is for people to come out and help," said Sandra Cobb, a Habitat volunteer coordinator. The events were held partly to educate, partly to foster community spirit.

The Neighborhoods Day included parades, concerts and information sessions on school and literacy programs. The United Negro College Fund sponsored some of the events. At Butzel Elementary and Middle School, also on the east side, volunteers set up tables in the school parking lot and offered health information, children's activities and grilled hotdogs provided by Indian Village Market and Mike's Fresh Market.

Speakers from Pioneers for Peace also spoke to youngsters about gun violence and how to avoid situations that involve guns. "I think it is really important for kids in Detroit to know about it at a really young age," said Rihianna Orr, site coordinator with the Community Foundation which helped to organize Saturday's event at Butzel. "We're here to make sure the school gets involved with the community and the community gets involved with the school."

Kimberley Carr brought her 9-year-old daughter Genora Fearn and 6-year-old daughter Gemelah Fearn to the Butzel event and said it was a nice way to get her girls thinking about classes that resume in the fall. Her daughters attend Butzel. "This is a good way to get the school year started," she said. "They (her daughters) wanted to come here and see some of their friends."

Other offerings at Butzel school included a disc jockey playing music, face painting by Pockets the Clown and health information from Detroit Medical Center staffers. ARISE Detroit! Director Luther Keith, a former Detroit News editor, said people are very excited about the day's programs.

"People need to know who is in the community," Keith said. "People need to know who their community groups are. We really have just scratched the surface of what this day can be."

Volunteers from Habitat for Humanity raise a garage on the east side. (Steve Perez / The Detroit News)