The fifth annual Solutions at Sunrise will take place on:
Wednesday, October 6  8AM - 9AM
Detroit Masonic Temple
500 Temple Street
Detroit, MI 48201

The goal is to raise $500,000 to support our work with formerly homeless veterans living at our Piquette Square project, young children learning in our family literacy program, and adults striving for better employment through our workforce development program.

The event will feature testimonials by individuals served by the agency, a visionary keynote address by Southwest Solutions President John Van Camp, and a new film about the work of the organization.

The theme of this year’s event is “Change in the Key of Hope,” an allusion to the classic album by Motown artist Stevie Wonder called “Songs in the Key of Life.”

Piquette Square for Veterans, our family literacy program and our job training initiative certainly embody “Change in the Key of Hope.” They represent impressive and effective programs to address some of the most serious issues in the city: homelessness, education and unemployment.

Piquette Square for Veterans is our new 150-unit apartment project near New Center. It attracted considerable attention as a national model to provide long-term housing and care for formerly homeless veterans. The mission of Piquette is to help these veterans lead healthy and independent lives. Funds raised at Solutions at Sunrise (SAS) will help us provide the support services needed to fulfill this mission.

SAS funds will also go the Early Learning Centers (ELCs) run by our Early Childhood & Family Literacy Center of Excellence. We have six ELC sites in Detroit. ELCs provide free training and resources to parents and caregivers so that they can prepare children to be “ready to learn” when they enter school. The six sites combined currently serve 780 parents and caregivers and help more than 3,000 children. Next year, we hope to serve an additional 1,000 participants, providing another 3,500 children the skills and frame of mind to be successful in school.

Our job training program is called Detroit GreenWorks Solutions. In the next two years, it will train and place at least 360 individuals in “green jobs.” These jobs include weatherization and deconstruction, landscaping, forestry and urban agriculture. The GreenWorks program stems from a federal “Pathways Out of Poverty” grant and a collaboration with other local organizations. The training program is free and is available to disadvantaged residents of southwest Detroit as well as veterans at Piquette Square. SAS funds will enable us meet additional needs of GreenWorks trainees to enhance their likelihood of success.

For more information about Solutions at Sunrise, please call Mary Madigan, Fund Development Manager, at 313.297.1371 or email her. We are still seeking table captains to recruit friends and associates to attend the event. Please contact Mary if you are interested in serving as a table captain or helping with the event in other ways.

    

• The event is built around Table Captains who recruit friends, family and colleagues to join them at a table of 10.
• Table Captains are offered various resources including a Table Captain Rally to help ensure success.
• Guests from the general public are also welcome. Please register in advance.

Solutions at Sunrise features compelling stories of those we serve, presented in short films and in person. Leadership and sponsorship gift opportunities for the event are available and corporate tables at the event are encouraged. We welcome corporate support for our program expansion efforts. For more information, contact Mary Madigan at 313.297.1371 or email her.

The one-hour program included a new short film about the organization created for the event. “Don't Give Up” features three stories of people receiving services with us. Barbie is a 10-year-old girl who lost her stepbrother in tragic accident last Christmas. Mac is a Detroit homeowner whose home went into foreclosure after his wife died of cancer. Lourdes is in our family literacy program and faced a very difficult immigration situation.

A speech by John Van Camp presented the vision of the organization. Bryan Goodman spoke about how our juvenile justice program turned his life around and his participation in Youth Voice. Mariana Orozco talked about how our family literacy program has enabled her to learn English and help her children with their schoolwork. Shirley Cockrell spoke about the Go-Getters program, which she directs, and how it helps homeless individuals. Lloyd Banks III emceed the event and Stephanie Miller delivered the appeal for support. Lloyd and Stephanie both serve on our Boards of Directors.

The event was covered by Latino Press, which then featured Solutions at Sunrise on its cover. Funds raised at Solutions at Sunrise help individuals and families in the community.