2023: Congress of CommunitiesFounded in 2010 in Southwest Detroit, Congress of Communities responded to a growing need for community collaboration and connection between youth, stakeholders, and residents.
CoC is dedicated to advocating for change in the areas of education and public safety, and project the voice of residents in our diverse cultural community. Over 10,000 residents, youth and stakeholders participated in a 3-year planning process that led to the creation of Congress of Communities (CoC).
2022: Brilliant DetroitBrilliant Detroit is dedicated to building kid success families and neighborhoods where families with children 0 to 8-years-old have what they need to be school ready, healthy, and stable. It provides holistic services for kids predicated on evidence-based programs year-round around health, family support, and education. Today, in each Brilliant Detroit high-need neighborhood hub, neighbors come together for fellowship, activities and learning to assure school readiness, and provide needed support for families. Find out more at: https://brilliantdetroit.org/ and on instagram: @brilliantdetroit
2021: Know Allegiance Nation@Knowallegiance (link to their Instagram) is a local Pan-African non-profit organization in Detroit that seeks to build a nation of knowledge seekers committed to striving for knowledge & growth through artivism as well as cultural and wholistic action. Find out more at https://kanbooks.org/
2020: Michigan Urban Farming Initiative
The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that seeks to engage members of the Detroit community in sustainable agriculture. Based in Detroit's North End community, their mission is to use urban agriculture as a platform to promote education, sustainability, and community in an effort to empower urban communities, address many social problems facing Detroit, and potentially develop a broader model for redevelopment for other urban communities.
Find out more at https://www.miufi.org/
2019: Mercy Education Project
Since 1992, Mercy Education Project is a non-profit organization aimed at providing educational opportunities to Detroit women, both youth and adult. It provides free after school 1-to-1 tutoring services to young girls throughout the school year, as well as small group math-focused education on Saturdays. In addition, it provides a free GED program to Detroit women that helps them pursue employment opportunities and thrive in their local community.
MEP's mission this year is to provide resources for their library. In 2010, MEP was honored by Charter One and WXYZ-TV7 as the Champions in Action®winner in Michigan in the area of workforce development. The $25,000 award recognized our holistic approach to workforce development and its success in breaking down barriers for low-income women who are seeking self-sufficiency. In 2013, MEP was selected as a Crain's Best Managed Nonprofit. Find out more at http://www.mercyed.net.
2018: The Lawn Academy
The LAWN Academy is a nonprofit organization started by Eric Miller in 2015. The organization's mission is to provide leadership and mentoring to Detroit youth through a college immersion program and community service projects. The youth help the local elderly, veterans, disabled, and handicapped population with lawn care services at no charge. The organization has been recognized for its initiative with the 2016 Spirit of Detroit Award by the Detroit City Council, 2016 Board of Police Commissioners Resolution, 2016 Detroit Police Department Certificate of Recognition, and Michigan Governor's Service Award.
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2017: Cass Community Social Services
Cass Community Social Services (CCSS) was established as a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) in 2002. Prior to that many of its programs started as a part of Cass Community United Methodist Church. The Detroit-based agency works across the city in areas of concentrated poverty providing programs for food, health, housing and jobs.
2017: Back Alley Bikes
Back Alley Bikes is a 501(c)3 non-profit community bike shop, which has been operating in the Cass Corridor for 15 years. Our mission is to provide cycling education and services with a focus on youth development, sustainable practices and community access.
We work to achieve this mission by offering a variety of educational programs, volunteer training & opportunities, as well as rides and other types of support related to cycling education, materials, and resources.
Back Alley Bikes is funded in many ways, but our main fundraiser is our retail shop The Hub of Detroit. The Hub refurbishes and sells a portion of our used bike donations, and 100% of the proceeds from those sales and used part sales benefit Back Alley Bikes, and are used to fund our programs.
2015: Sit on It Detroit
Sit On It is an effort to fill the void by creating benches out of reclaimed wood from abandoned houses and businesses within the city. The network of benches will act as a free library.
Detroit lacks seating at bus stops. More than half of the bus stops in the city are without benches. Sit On It is an effort to fill this void by creating benches out of reclaimed wood from abandoned houses and businesses within the city. This will be cost-effective and will improve conditions in the city by repurposing previously discarded materials. Handcrafted by local artisans, the benches will be more aesthetically pleasing than standard city-issued benches. Each bench will have a built-in bookshelf with a plexiglass covering. An initial donation of books will stock the shelves. Citizens are encouraged to read, borrow, and donate books. The network of benches will act as a free library.
2014: Franklin Wright
Franklin-Wright Settlements, Inc. is a leading Detroit neighborhood human service organization, existing to assist individuals, families, groups and the community with basic life, family and social needs. Embracing the settlement house philosophy, a multi-service holistic approach in cooperation with the community, FWS focuses on the prevention, treatment, and amelioration of social problems, through advocacy, programs, projects, activities, services and facilities. The enduring strength of FWS lies in flexible, responsive programs that recognize ongoing basic needs, despite changing societal priorities and funding.
At the end of the 2014 Lampoon, Aesculapians donated $10,000 to Franklin Wright
CoC is dedicated to advocating for change in the areas of education and public safety, and project the voice of residents in our diverse cultural community. Over 10,000 residents, youth and stakeholders participated in a 3-year planning process that led to the creation of Congress of Communities (CoC).
2022: Brilliant DetroitBrilliant Detroit is dedicated to building kid success families and neighborhoods where families with children 0 to 8-years-old have what they need to be school ready, healthy, and stable. It provides holistic services for kids predicated on evidence-based programs year-round around health, family support, and education. Today, in each Brilliant Detroit high-need neighborhood hub, neighbors come together for fellowship, activities and learning to assure school readiness, and provide needed support for families. Find out more at: https://brilliantdetroit.org/ and on instagram: @brilliantdetroit
2021: Know Allegiance Nation@Knowallegiance (link to their Instagram) is a local Pan-African non-profit organization in Detroit that seeks to build a nation of knowledge seekers committed to striving for knowledge & growth through artivism as well as cultural and wholistic action. Find out more at https://kanbooks.org/
2020: Michigan Urban Farming Initiative
The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that seeks to engage members of the Detroit community in sustainable agriculture. Based in Detroit's North End community, their mission is to use urban agriculture as a platform to promote education, sustainability, and community in an effort to empower urban communities, address many social problems facing Detroit, and potentially develop a broader model for redevelopment for other urban communities.
Find out more at https://www.miufi.org/
2019: Mercy Education Project
Since 1992, Mercy Education Project is a non-profit organization aimed at providing educational opportunities to Detroit women, both youth and adult. It provides free after school 1-to-1 tutoring services to young girls throughout the school year, as well as small group math-focused education on Saturdays. In addition, it provides a free GED program to Detroit women that helps them pursue employment opportunities and thrive in their local community.
MEP's mission this year is to provide resources for their library. In 2010, MEP was honored by Charter One and WXYZ-TV7 as the Champions in Action®winner in Michigan in the area of workforce development. The $25,000 award recognized our holistic approach to workforce development and its success in breaking down barriers for low-income women who are seeking self-sufficiency. In 2013, MEP was selected as a Crain's Best Managed Nonprofit. Find out more at http://www.mercyed.net.
2018: The Lawn Academy
The LAWN Academy is a nonprofit organization started by Eric Miller in 2015. The organization's mission is to provide leadership and mentoring to Detroit youth through a college immersion program and community service projects. The youth help the local elderly, veterans, disabled, and handicapped population with lawn care services at no charge. The organization has been recognized for its initiative with the 2016 Spirit of Detroit Award by the Detroit City Council, 2016 Board of Police Commissioners Resolution, 2016 Detroit Police Department Certificate of Recognition, and Michigan Governor's Service Award.
LEARN MORE
2017: Cass Community Social Services
Cass Community Social Services (CCSS) was established as a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) in 2002. Prior to that many of its programs started as a part of Cass Community United Methodist Church. The Detroit-based agency works across the city in areas of concentrated poverty providing programs for food, health, housing and jobs.
- CCSS prepares and serves 1 million meals annually.
- 325 homeless men, women and children currently stay in one of CCSS’ shelters, transitional housing or permanent supportive housing programs.
- CCSS operates a weekly free medical clinic and a day program for 100 adults with developmental disabilities.
- 70 adults are currently employed in the agency’s Green Industries which marry jobs with sustainability.
2017: Back Alley Bikes
Back Alley Bikes is a 501(c)3 non-profit community bike shop, which has been operating in the Cass Corridor for 15 years. Our mission is to provide cycling education and services with a focus on youth development, sustainable practices and community access.
We work to achieve this mission by offering a variety of educational programs, volunteer training & opportunities, as well as rides and other types of support related to cycling education, materials, and resources.
Back Alley Bikes is funded in many ways, but our main fundraiser is our retail shop The Hub of Detroit. The Hub refurbishes and sells a portion of our used bike donations, and 100% of the proceeds from those sales and used part sales benefit Back Alley Bikes, and are used to fund our programs.
2015: Sit on It Detroit
Sit On It is an effort to fill the void by creating benches out of reclaimed wood from abandoned houses and businesses within the city. The network of benches will act as a free library.
Detroit lacks seating at bus stops. More than half of the bus stops in the city are without benches. Sit On It is an effort to fill this void by creating benches out of reclaimed wood from abandoned houses and businesses within the city. This will be cost-effective and will improve conditions in the city by repurposing previously discarded materials. Handcrafted by local artisans, the benches will be more aesthetically pleasing than standard city-issued benches. Each bench will have a built-in bookshelf with a plexiglass covering. An initial donation of books will stock the shelves. Citizens are encouraged to read, borrow, and donate books. The network of benches will act as a free library.
2014: Franklin Wright
Franklin-Wright Settlements, Inc. is a leading Detroit neighborhood human service organization, existing to assist individuals, families, groups and the community with basic life, family and social needs. Embracing the settlement house philosophy, a multi-service holistic approach in cooperation with the community, FWS focuses on the prevention, treatment, and amelioration of social problems, through advocacy, programs, projects, activities, services and facilities. The enduring strength of FWS lies in flexible, responsive programs that recognize ongoing basic needs, despite changing societal priorities and funding.
At the end of the 2014 Lampoon, Aesculapians donated $10,000 to Franklin Wright
