Press Releases

Motor City Golf Classic raises $200,000 for Habitat for Humanity Detroit

Motor City Golf Classic raises $200,000 for Habitat for Humanity Detroit 1000 562 habitatdetroit

The Detroit refinery hosted its 11th annual Motor City Golf Classic to benefit Habitat for Humanity Detroit. There were 238 golfers and 53 business partners at the event that raised more than $200,000 for the organization’s two-year critical home repair program.

“The Motor City Classic at Detroit’s Rouge Park golf course was a great reminder of how committed our employees and business partners are to the local community surrounding MPC’s Detroit Refinery,” said John Stefko, General Manager of the Detroit refinery. “Their hard work and donations have provided Habitat for Humanity Detroit with $219,000 to provide critical repairs for at least 15 local family homes in 2023. I am proud to watch the Detroit refinery family move our community forward.”

Habitat Detroit to Celebrate Home Dedication

Habitat Detroit to Celebrate Home Dedication 1200 797 habitatdetroit

Grayson Wilson is excited to make their dream of homeownership a reality

Habitat for Humanity Detroit is proud to welcome Grayson Wilson to its list of homeowners.  The home dedication will take place on Tuesday, May 9th at 4 pm at 14017 Auburn, Detroit, MI 48223.

Grayson Wilson, along with his mother, Anne Grenion migrated to the US from Guyana South America in search of a better life. They faced many challenges and setbacks as they learned a new culture and way of life but thrived, nonetheless. In his younger days, Grayson was extremely active in sports and loved being on a team. His love for teamwork, leadership, and connectedness lead Grayson to a successful 7-year career in the Army.

A little over a year ago Grayson connected with Habitat Detroit and joined the Weekend Warriors, knowing he very much wanted to be a homeowner himself.  Understanding he needed to get a few financial ducks in a row first, he began to attend HomeEd webinars. Over the next year, he helped in several home builds and attended webinars all in order to learn the skills needed to be a successful homeowner. During this time he discovered that the Habitat Detroit culture at its core is “genuine care”.

“In February Grayson officially applied for and was approved to be Habitat Detroit Homeowner. That same week he viewed the Auburn house,” says Stephanie Osterland, Habitat Detroit’s Executive Director, “After careful consideration, he accepted the house on February 13, 2023. He looks forward to his relationship with Habitat Detroit developing even further, and we could not be more excited for the partnership we have established.”

“I have an innate desire to serve others and to see their lives fulfilled. Volunteering with Habitat Detroit for over a year and a half, I’ve seen other’s homeownership dreams come true. I’ve learned new skills relating to home renovation and home maintenance,” say Wilson.

The Habitat Detroit Homeownership program was established to help build wealth, assets, and opportunities for the next generation of Detroit citizens. Grayson is the latest example of the program in action.

Wilson continued, “Now that homeownership is a reality for me, I am grateful to have this experience. Working with Habitat Detroit offers me peace – They continue to equip me with the knowledge, skills, and access to resources to make my homeownership lifecycle sustainable.”

“We look forward to welcoming our newest Homeowner to the Habitat for Humanity Detroit family and for the partnership that is to follow,” says Osterland.

Habitat Detroit to Celebrate Home Dedication – The Flores Family

Habitat Detroit to Celebrate Home Dedication – The Flores Family 1200 800 habitatdetroit

The Flores Family is excited to make their dream of homeownership a reality

Habitat for Humanity Detroit is proud to welcome The Flores family to its list of homeowners.  Their home dedication will take place on Wednesday, April 26th at 4 pm at 3926 Haverhill, Detroit, MI 48224.

Growing up, Gabby Flores moved around a lot, never really having a “family home.” She had to take a responsible role early in her life to help support her family. This experience instilled dreams of financial stability, planting home roots, and being the best mom she could be for her daughters.

Starting with financial stability, she worked her way up to a management position in her professional life.  With that accomplished, she set her sights on homeownership and planting roots through a permanent home.

“Upon viewing the house on Haverhill, we could see the overwhelming emotion in Gabby as she pointed out where she would put her plants, what rooms her girls would be in, and how she would hang stockings on the fireplace mantle during the holidays,” says Stephanie Osterland, Habitat Detroit’s Executive Director.

Since partnering with Habitat Detroit in May 2022, the entire Flores family has taken an active role, from completing sweat equity hours as volunteers at builds, to attending events & classes, and working diligently to increase their buying power.

“Habitat Detroit has changed my life by helping me become a homeowner and allowing me to play a role in the homeownership journey for other Habitat families,” says Flores. “Most importantly my daughters see that with hard work and dedication they too can become homeowners.”

The Habitat Detroit Homeownership program was established to help build wealth, assets, and opportunities for the next generation of Detroit families. The Flores family is the latest example of the program in action.

Flores continued, “I am so thankful for Habitat and all of the wonderful volunteers who have helped on this journey and cannot wait to enjoy many years of happiness with my family in our home.”

“We look forward to welcoming our newest Homeowners to the Habitat for Humanity Detroit family,” says Osterland.

HFHD Return Home Safe

HFHD Return Home Safe 1200 800 habitatdetroit

Detroit –Habitat for Humanity Detroit, in partnership with Henry Ford Health and Baldwin Society Supporting Older Adults, has launched The Return Home Safe (RHS) program to reduce the risk for at-home falls by providing modest home safety repairs and transitional private-duty aides for eligible low-income seniors in the Detroit area.

A report by America’s Health Rankings said 29.3% of Michigan seniors ages 65 and older are likely to suffer from a fall, and one out of five falls causes a serious injury like a hip fracture and head trauma. These can lead to decreased mobility, loss of independence, social isolation and depression, and premature death.

“We see the positive impact that safe and healthy housing can have on quality of life,” says Stephanie Osterland, CEO, Habitat for Humanity Detroit. “We are excited to utilize Habitat Detroit’s construction expertise to improve safety for our seniors.”

“Most of us know a senior who does not have the resources they need to be safe and well at home. Through this program we can help keep loved ones from experiencing the negative impacts of falls,” says Steve Ebben, Board Member, Baldwin Society Supporting Older Adults.

RHS is made possible by an initial $100,000 grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund which will make a significant impact for the seniors in the cities we are serving. Support from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundationis providing funding to aid in the research and analysis of the data to be collected from this program. However, additional funding is needed to allow Habitat to reach our goal of helping 100 seniors with repairs in the next 18 months and we are seeking additional partners to help assist these individuals.

“When older adults come home from the hospital, they need a safe environment that will not cause further injury but facilitate their recovery,” said Audrey Harvey, vice president and executive director at the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation.“The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation is pleasedto help fund the Return Home Safeprogram to ensure this vulnerable population can get well in a familiar setting.”

Eligible low-income seniors are ages 65 and older, own their home in Detroit, Hamtramck, or Highland Park, and are considered at-risk for falls. Henry Ford’s Mobile Integrated Health team will work with Habitat to identify seniors who are at-risk for falls to receive home repairs. The repairs would be at no cost to eligible seniors.The types of repairs to be made may include installing grab bars in the bathroom, fixing handrails and uneven flooring, and improving lighting.

“We are pleased to partner with Habitat for Humanity Detroit and Baldwin Society Supporting Older Adultson this community initiative to ensure the safety of seniors in their home,” said Alexander Plum, Director of Henry Ford’s Clinical & Social Health Integration.

Tayo Moss, Program Manager at Michigan Health Endowment Fund, said “The Return Home Safe intervention is a wonderful community initiative. We look forward to the progression of this work as it supports seniors through their healing process.”

For more information on this program and waysto support, please contact Mary Ellen Kearney, Director of Fund Development, Habitat for Humanity Detroit, at [email protected] or 313-521-6691 x 109.

Sign Up for our Newsletter!

    Privacy Preferences

    When you visit our website, it may store information through your browser from specific services, usually in the form of cookies. Here you can change your Privacy preferences. It is worth noting that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our website and the services we are able to offer.

    Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking code.
    Click to enable/disable Google Fonts.
    Click to enable/disable Google Maps.
    Click to enable/disable video embeds.
    Our website uses cookies, mainly from 3rd party services. Define your Privacy Preferences and/or agree to our use of cookies.