REDEEM DETROIT is a 501C3 non- profit organization that aims to revitalize neighborhoods in the city of Detroit by curbing unemployment rates, reducing crime, and eliminating blight through vocational and educational training and job placement. We believe that everyone deserves a second chance to redeem themselves and that’s why we focus our support on At-Risk Youth, Homeless Veterans, and Returning Citizens. In exchange for our help, we require our participants help eliminate blight in the city of Detroit. REDEEM DETROIT offers two programs that offer skill-building, training, support, and other opportunities that will enhance the participants’ chances of earning a decent income as well as staying out of trouble. They are the Vocational Interest Program and the Community Work for Rent Program. This program is available to all of our demographic groups but it really focuses on at risk high school students in the Detroit Public School Systems. We target those students who are disengaged, disruptive, and at risk of failing, dropping out, and or committing crimes. We will spark the interest of these students primarily by providing basic hands on training in various vocational trades such as painting, framing, drywall, plumbing, electrical, auto repair, etc. As students become engaged in the hands on aspects, we will introduce real world math concepts that are necessary to complete vocational projects as well as math skills that are used to price potential jobs for clients. Some of the math concepts will include finding the area needed to cover floors and walls, how much material to order based on measurements taken, how to measure to the nearest fraction, etc. All of these real world math problems will increase the student’s understanding of algebra, area, perimeter, fractions, decimals, proportions, etc. Once the student has a basic experience in each trade, we will use tests, quizzes, surveys, and the judgment of projects to determine the students’ areas of strength. With this information we will recommend that the participant pursue further training in those areas at Wayne County Community College (WCCC). With the help of WCCC advisors, we hope to enroll the students in the proper classes that will allow them to earn college credits while still in High school, and we hope to also secure the student a position at the proper WCCC campus upon graduation. This program will prevent many young teens from dropping out of school and committing crimes and it will also allow them to discover their own self-worth and a meaningful purpose for their lives. THE COMMUNITY WORK FOR RENT PROGRAM (C.W.F.R.) This program is ultimately designed to revitalize neighborhoods and communities while at the same time creating jobs and businesses. The concept of the program is to allow returning citizens and homeless veterans to live in a furnished home without the financial pressures of having to pay rent. Instead of paying rent, the participants will commit 16 hours of community service per month (cleaning parks, planting gardens, securing vacant houses, etc.) and 32 vocational training hours per month in the V.I.P. Program and GED classes if needed. With the new skills acquired through this ongoing program, we will help each participant secure employment and or business contracts to do work for local businesses and organizations. We will also help these participants purchase their own homes and cars. With the vocational training, the soft skills training (financial literacy, computer skills, public speaking, etc.), and the community work ethic, these men will be equipped with social and employment skills that will lead them to become self-sufficient, caring, and productive citizens.
