People living in Detroit's toughest neighborhoods are getting resources and hope to improve their lives. It's all part of "Occupy The Corner" a program run by Detroit City Council Member Mary Sheffield. Click the video player for her interview with Joanne Purtan on 7 Action News at Noon.
"Occupy the Corner" is designed to pump resources and hope into communities struggling with crime, and gun violence. The program links people with job training, utility assistance, felony expungement, healthcare and other key services in an effort to address the root causes of violence in Detroit.
City Council Member Mary Sheffield will kick-off the 4th Annual “Occupy the Corner " event Detroit” tonight (Friday June 16) at 5pm at at the Joseph Walker Williams Rec. Center located at 14th and West Euclid in .
She'll be joined b community leaders and entertainers and also NBA Veteran Derrick Coleman, who grew up in the Detroit area.
Sheffield says the mission is to engage the community, connect them to resources and empower people to be self-determinate with respect to improving the quality of life in some of Detroit’s toughest neighborhoods.
This year Council Member Sheffield, staff, community leaders, and volunteers will hit the blocks in District 5’s highest crime and impoverished neighborhoods to bring resources and hope to residents on Fridays starting with the June 16th’s kick-off and continuing every other week throughout the summer.
“Violence is destroying the very fabric of our neighborhoods and often leads to decaying communities. We, as Detroiters, must accept full responsibility for putting an end to this crisis. Therefore, I will continue occupying the corners in Detroit denouncing violence and offering resources and hope for Detroiters trapped in a vicious economic cycle which breeds a lot of the violence we see today," said Sheffield.
Anyone participating will get information regarding voter registration, employment and job training, minor felony expungement, utility payment assistance, housing assistance, healthcare and much more. This event will also serve as a platform for citizens to voice their perspectives regarding the current cultural and social climate in the City.
"As someone who has made it my mission to give back to the community, when Council Member Sheffield asked me to be a part of Occupy the Corner-Detroit I was quick to join her in this effort. Our Children need to be engaged and the community needs resources and opportunities- all of which we will be delivering at Joseph Walker Williams Recreation Center..." Stated former NBA star and Community Activist Derrick Coleman.
