Client: Grace Centers of Hope
Originally Published: Detroit News

Pontiac — Grace Centers of Hope welcomed several hundred volunteers to its campus Friday and Saturday for Hope in Action, the nonprofit’s annual spring beautification effort.

Volunteers laid pavers and mulch, planted flowers and pulled weeds across Grace Centers of Hope’s sprawling Pontiac campus, part of the nonprofit’s event aimed at revitalizing both the grounds and the community.

The large-scale effort brought out volunteers from companies, church groups and individuals. It is about much more than physical improvements, said Darin Weiss, CEO of Grace Centers of Hope.

“Volunteers don't just help the bottom line,” Weiss said. “They really communicate that the people that we serve matter. Their dignity, their worth, their value. So somebody giving of their time and their talent and treasure speaks volume to them that it is actually worth their Friday and Saturday.”

Established in 1942, Grace Centers of Hope is a Christian nonprofit "committed to positively changing the lives of the unwanted, addicted, and homeless through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, personal accountability, life skills education and work-related programs," its website says.

Grace Centers of Hope's campus includes a women and children’s center, a men’s center, a career center, a church, a childcare center and 60 homes that offer transitional housing for graduates of its programs.

Volunteers came from organizations including GM Cares, United Wholesale Mortgage, Clawson Public Schools, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Volkswagen, Earth Art, various church groups and individuals.

"We really see community as the answer," Weiss said. "Not just like the broader community getting involved, but the people that come to us. They've been isolated and separated from families. Many people don't have anywhere to go back to, And those that do have somewhere to go back to, more times than not they shouldn't, because it's a really negative experience.

"We've literally built a community. Being part of something bigger than yourself is paramount to recovery and restoration. Community getting involved in that, helping restore the neighborhood is a beautiful thing."

Among them on Saturday was Jessica Hwang, 33, of Rochester Hills, who joined others from Soma Church to lend a hand. During the morning, she planted hostas, painted a porch and decorated rocks for the butterfly garden.

“Just knowing some of the leadership here and how hard they work day in and day out, to take a little bit off their plate really means a lot,” she said.

More than two decades ago the area was filled with drug activity and police didn’t even want to drive down the street, said Mark Cunningham, director of donor relations for the organization.

Over time, Grace Centers of Hope acquired and fixed up the rundown homes in the area, which now provide affordable rental housing for graduates of the program. The organization will celebrate its 60th house with a ribbon cutting this summer.

Homes along Seneca Street were among those that received a fresh sprucing up during the two-day effort.

Katelyn Mills, 34, of Plymouth Township came to Hope In Action on Saturday with her son Emmett, 8, and her boyfriend Devon Bower of Garden City. Among their tasks for the day included planting hostas, pulling weeds and rebuilding a garden bed.

"Everybody is really eager to help," she said. "It's great to be around people who want to be better and help others and better the lives of others. ... It's great to see this."

Bower, 34, said he was encouraged by the strong turnout and the welcoming atmosphere. He said he was impressed by how well Grace Centers of Hope has cared for its campus over the years.

“It looks really good,” he said. “It’s well maintained, well kept.”

Andy Baligian, 47, of Livonia has been volunteering at Grace Centers of Hope’s annual event for the past two years. He owns Midwest Gutter Clean and has a personal connection to the organization because his brother struggled with addiction, went through the men’s program in 2023 and turned his life around.

Baligian and his company regularly support the campus by providing free gutter cleaning and repairs for its transitional homes. His employees are paid by the company for their work, but the service is donated to Grace Centers of Hope.

“We pay them to do the work, but we don't want to charge the mission for that, because we want them to have more … more resources to focus on helping people,” he said.

He said it’s been powerful to watch the neighborhood transform over the years, thanks to the nonprofit’s work and volunteer support.

“They actually said at one time this neighborhood, this street, was one of the worst streets in Pontiac," he said. "And now look, it's beautiful playground and kids and well maintained homes. And, you know, people that are trying to get back on their feet.”

He added that the revitalized community reflects the organization’s mission.

“It’s like a manifest, like a physical manifestation of everything that they're about," he said. "You get to see tangible, metaphorical almost what they're trying to do in people's lives. Helping transform their lives. It's pretty cool.”

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