“I WANT TO BE ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE WHEN I GET OLDER.”

The Program

It was my uncle who introduced me to the the S.T.R.E.E.T. After School Program. I knew kids who were in it before, but they left after the first couple of months. I stuck it out. It’s a good program. It’s a real nice place to come, do your homework and talk to people who can help. But it’s not just school, we have recreation time and go on trips. During the summer we went to the Museum of African American History in Detroit.

Keeping Focused

You look at kids and how they struggle. Then you look at the Program kids and see that they have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Kids on the street wish they could be doing what we’re doing right now. The Program keeps you focused and encourages you to keep pushing yourself to do better. I bring other kids to the Program. It’s influenced me to give back. Nowadays, you see struggle and, if you’re not struggling, you just want to help.

Game Mode

I’m different. I’m smart. I am an individual. I put myself out there, but in a different way. I don’t depend on anybody else to do stuff. If you want to do something like go to college, you gotta go out there and do it. So I’m focused right now. This is game mode right now. I want to be a neurosurgeon and help people one day. If I wasn’t in the Program, I’d probably be sitting at home with nothing to do.

Get Involved

The S.T.R.E.E.T After School Program helps at-risk teens move off the streets and stay out of trouble. The program provides the resources and support teens need to be successful in school and in life. For more information or to refer a student, call the S.T.R.E.E.T Center at 269-276-0688.

Health

We are making sure people have access to physical and mental health care, and that babies are born healthy. We work with health care providers to keep costs low and make sure services are available for those with little or no health insurance.

Income

We’re helping families become – and stay – self-sufficient by investing in programs that help them stay in their homes, through rental assistance, budgeting and financial counseling. We also help people become financially stable by supporting job training and retention programs, and through the Tax Counseling Initiative and the Emergency Food and Shelter program.