More than just housing…
For decades, the community watched as the once handsome Spaulding Court fell into decay. Three years ago, the last owner left the scene completely. Most residents had left for lack of water, power or heat. The limestone walls, however, were built to last and one family, the Harris’, stuck it out through the Court’s fall, making repairs and keeping out squatters as best they could.
But this place refused to tell the same old Detroit story of decline, poverty, blight and crime. In 2010 the grassroots nonprofit Friends of Spaulding Court was formed with the intent of using the solid bones of the Court as scaffolding for a strong, diverse neighborhood. With a lot of luck and the help of the county, they became the Court’s newest owners.
What followed was an outpouring of support from individuals all over the world. They made small donations and loans that funded a new roof, water and electrical services in the occupied building. Two of the townhomes have been competely gutted, refinished and rented out and now generate cashflow that covers taxes and utilities. After a full summer of consensus based planning, a work plan was set upon that prioritizes basic needs--right now, they're not being met.
We now stand in front of our biggest hurdle, renovating the home of the Harris family who’ve kept the pulse alive in the Court this whole time. As winter crawls over the horizon, the cold leaks into to homes that are in no position to protect their inhabitants.
Through the end of this campaign, a crew of neighborhood laborers is toiling to put together a warm place for the Harris family to stay this winter. It's a plan that will wrap up by Thanksgiving week, but also one that is only half funded.
A gift of $20 pays for the lumber to frame a room.
A gift of $50 pays for a new heater.
A gift of $80 pays a local resident for a full day of work.
A gift of $200 buys a new, Low-E window made in Detroit.
A gift of $500 will drywall an entire room.
A gift of $1000 will insulate an entire floor.
A gift of $2000 pays for modern electrical wiring.
Even a gift of $1 let's others know that you support this work.
With your support, one family in Detroit will have a warm place to stay this winter. With your support, one community will kick down the obstacles they face. Together, we can make this world a better place.