There was an emotional family reunion on Saturday at the home of Betty and Raymond Mitchell. Relatives came to meet DJ, whom they had not seen in nearly a dozen years. DJ is 14 now. He is the son of Betty’s daughter, who died when DJ was two. DJ’s father took custody and then broke off communication with Betty’s side of the family. Last fall, Betty learned that DJ had been sent into the foster care system in Texas. Betty located DJ in the system, went to see him in Texas, and then began working on the process to adopt him. At the time, Betty and her husband Raymond were in senior living. They needed a home to make the adoption possible. The Mitchells completed a homebuyer education class at Southwest Solutions and then qualified for a downpayment assistance grant through our HomeLIFT program. They purchased and moved into their home in northwest Detroit in May. DJ arrived at the home last week. It has been a long and difficult journey for him since his mother died, but he is now in the warm and welcoming embrace of his loving family. “This is the best holiday gift that any of us could wish for,” said Betty.

If you feel that homeownership is out of reach because of your household income or lacking the downpayment, please read this Free Press story. There are many programs that might be able to help you become a homeowner and build wealth, especially with property values on the rise in Detroit. Lakeshia Wiley, who is profiled in this article, went through our homebuyer education course and received a downpayment assistance grant. Visit swsol.neighborworkscompass.org to learn more.

In honor of #VeteransDay2017, Dr. Anthony Weinert and his organization Shoe Pantry Plus donated shoes and socks to the formerly homeless veterans at our Piquette Square.

Darick Bledsoe is a veteran who served 10 years in the Army, including time in combat zones during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Darick, his wife Bridget and their three children moved into their new home earlier this fall, a three bedroom townhouse at Mack-Ashland II. They join other veteran families who also call the east-side townhouse development home. We are proud to be able to provide the Bledsoes and veteran families with safe, affordable housing in the city of Detroit. Our service men and women have sacrificed so much for us, it is our honor to provide them with a place to call home. You can help us continue to serve veterans and their families by making a gift this Veterans Day, make a gift today. #HappyVeteransDay

Thank you Dr. Anthony Weinert and his organization Shoe Pantry Plus for donating shoes and socks to the formerly homeless veterans at our Piquette Square for Veterans. #VeteransDay2017

In honor of #VeteransDay2017, volunteers from the Woodhaven Kiwanis continued their annual tradition of hosting a pancake breakfast for the formerly homeless veterans residing at our Piquette Square for Veterans. The Kiwanis also provided quilts, blankets and pillows. The quilts and pillows were made by hand. Veterans also received hygiene kits and household gifts from BrassCraft, and shoes and socks from Dr. Anthony Weinert’s organization Shoe Pantry Plus. U.S. Army TACOM provided 14 tickets to the Piston’s game tonight. Joe Joe's Bistro provided lunch. Thank you to our generous donors and volunteers for making Veterans Day such a special and celebratory occasion for the veterans at Piquette Square!

Major General Clark W. LeMasters, Jr. toured Piquette Square for Veterans to learn more about the Southwest Solutions' 150-unit apartment project that has become a national model in helping formerly homeless veterans rebuild their lives and reintegrate into the community. LeMasters is commanding general of the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (U.S. Army TACOM), which is headquartered in Warren, Michigan. John Van Camp, President and CEO of Southwest Solutions, led the tour. #VeteransDay2017

Black Family Development Inc recently presented six community leaders with the 2017 Dr. Gerald K. Smith Humanitarian Award. John Van Camp, President and CEO of Southwest Solutions, was one of the recipients. The others were Thomas F. Stallworth III, Shirley Stancato, Addie D. Williams, Doug Ross, and Tony Saunders.

Members of our Children, Youth and Families team met with a delegation of NGOs from Indonesia to discuss how our juvenile justice, youth assistance, wraparound, and counseling programs help families at risk. Participating from our team were: Chantelle James, Program Supervisor for the Youth Assistance Program and Wraparound Program; Susan Wiley, Juvenile Justice Specialist; and Margaret Jabboori, Clinician and Case Manager. The visit was part of a special U.S. State Department program facilitated by Global Ties Detroit.

Our clinician Shelley Bultje is interviewed for this Bridge Magazine story about a young woman raised in America who was deported to Mexico in May, leaving behind a husband suffering from leukemia and their 2-year-old son.

AT&T Pioneers teamed with the Latino Press to provide backpacks and school supplies to students at Harms Elementary in southwest Detroit recently. Ana Martinez, our Community Schools Site Coordinator at Harms, helped facilitate the donation. ”Harms is grateful to have been chosen for the backpack drive, and we thank Diane Pryor, Robert Jones and Greg Clark of AT&T Pioneers and Elias Gutierrez of the Latino Press,’ said Ana. “Our students have a great desire to better their future, and this kind of investment makes a real difference in their lives.” AT&T Pioneers is a service organization consisting of retired or current AT&T employees.

Do you want to become a homeowner? Sign up for our free Homebuyer Education class at https://swsol.neighborworkscompass.org/trainingcenter to learn about the process and how Southwest Solutions can get you there. Our next class is Friday, November 10. Call 313.297.0075 if you have questions.