As adults, plenty of us have adapted and learned how to cope with hardships, but there is a particular group of people -- namely, children -- who don’t have the tools or resources yet to understand how to do that.
MCHS Family of Services (MCHS), which has locations throughout Redford and Detroit, has been taking care of Michigan’s most vulnerable children for more than a century. More specifically, for 107 years MCHS has been committed to creating brighter futures for children, families and the entire community across Michigan through its growing programs.
While the nonprofit has contributed much to the local community over the years, today, MCHS is a social services agency that provides many things, including foster care and adoption, transitional living, child abuse prevention, housing, education and community wellness programs. Its mission is to provide individualized treatment, care, advocacy and permanency to children and families impacted by childhood trauma.
It takes plenty of hard work and community support for an organization to remain viable and thrive for more than a century. And, with numerous locations, it takes many volunteers to help with spring cleaning, both inside and out.
On Friday, April 26, more than 150 volunteers from organizations across Southeast Michigan gathered to support MCHS at its Big Give Back event across three MCHS locations. This exciting day directly impacted the communities that MCHS serves by beautifying the campuses that many of its clients call home.
Volunteers included employees from Masco Corporation, Home Depot, United Way, GM, Bank of America, Kienbaum Hardy Viviano Pelton & Forrest, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Ford, Rocket Mortgage, Community Financial Credit Union, Wade Trim, Ally Financial and the Detroit Pistons.
More than 100 volunteers worked together at the Redford site to help with landscaping, painting, deep cleaning, re-mulching two outdoor playgrounds and re-sanding a volleyball pit. This site is home to several of MCHS’s programs that include residential treatment for youth ages 5-18, foster care and treatment for infants and children impacted by abuse and neglect, adoption, case management services and long-term foster care for unaccompanied refugee children. It also has a trauma-informed K-8 charter school that offers students a restorative environment in which to learn.
At the Pembroke site in Detroit, a couple dozen volunteers helped with weeding, pruning, painting and deep cleaning of the facility that houses numerous programs. These include those that support independent living services and life skills training for youth aging out of foster care, childcare prevention, transitional housing for youth experiencing homelessness and immediate support for youth experiencing a mental health crisis.
The third site for volunteers was in Detroit at MCHS’s Teen Infant Parenting Services (TIPS). This program supports young, homeless parents, ages 18-24, and their children through housing, case management, life skills training and workforce development to break the cycle of homelessness. There, 15 volunteers did various landscaping and outdoor cleaning projects in addition to painting.
In November 2020, MCHS was honored with the Best Managed Nonprofit Award from Crain’s Business Detroit, under the leadership of CEO Kevin Roach.
“We strive every day to make our communities healthier, stronger and better for future generations,” Roach said. “Our volunteer and donor community is a significant part of the heart and soul of MCHS. From participating in community service projects to mentoring and hosting events for our residential treatment youth, volunteers and donors are at the core of all our efforts. Every day we extend our sincerest appreciation and gratitude to our incredible partners.”
The Spring Appeal
In addition to volunteers, the organization’s Spring Appeal, which takes place in May, helps to sustain the organization’s work. All community members are invited to support the month-long fundraising.
This year’s campaign will specifically benefit young adults in MHCS’s Independent Living Program, which is for youth aging out of the foster care system. MCHS’s three distinct programs include Independent Living (IL), Independent Living Plus (ILP) and the Young Adult Voluntary Foster Care (YAVFC).
Through the transitional living programs at MCHS, staff can help young men, ages 16 through 20, prepare for a successful and fulfilling life as an adult. Its programs are designed to give them the confidence and resources they need to succeed academically, professionally and personally.
More than simply being a place to live, ILP is a family to which they can belong in an atmosphere where they can become and grow to their fullest potential.
Support through MHCS not only offers these young men the stability of a home but the chance to equip themselves for life beyond foster care. They receive vital life skills training, job-readiness preparation, financial planning education and numerous other essential resources.
Masco Corporation has stepped up and will be matching all donations up to $25,000 during the Spring Appeal. Any donation made will be doubled by the company during the month.
“We are a proud long-time partner of MCHS Family of Services and, each year, the Big Give Back is a great example of how companies across Southeast Michigan are coming together to make a difference,” said Sue Sabo, Masco’s director of communications and corporate giving. “Our employees have a great time working with other organizations to make a big impact in just one day. We are pleased to support MCHS both financially and with employee volunteers, which enables MCHS to continue to build a community where every child and family has a safer and brighter future.”
Every donation counts toward the essential operations MCHS provides to children, including healthy diet, housing, clothing, hygiene needs, education and therapy.
If you would like to help build a community where every child and family has a safer and brighter future, visit MCHS.MI.org, where you can also get information on how to volunteer, donate funding or attend one of its annual fundraising events.