Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance
When was it organized?
2007
Who is completing this survey? Name and role with organization:
Kenyetta M. Campbell, Executive Director
Choose one category that best fits your organization:
Community Development Organization (not sponsored by a church or agency or company)
Does your organization have paid staff?
- 2 paid staff
- 3 paid consultants
What is the annual budget of your organization?
$720,000
Describe the streets or locations that define your organization’s overall focus area (north, south, east and/or west):
- North — I96 Freeway
- South — Ford Rd
- East — Greenfield
- West — West Parkway
Describe in detail the work your organization does, within the role categories below, along with the specific geographic area in which the work is done. Refer to the definitions below of the community development roles we are inquiring about. Include any partner organizations you work with, and how the work is funded or otherwise resourced. Use extra pages if necessary. If your organization doesn’t do work in one or more of the role categories, just skip that portion of the survey.
Convening/Facilitating/Collaborations: General Description
- Initially, we got started in this area as a convener to gather residents, youth, businesses in the area, nonprofit entities and churches to develop a community plan.
- National Community Development Institute provided capacity building for the Skillman Foundation Good Neighborhoods (Cody Rouge being one).
Initially, we got started in this area as a convener to gather residents, youth, businesses in the area, nonprofit entities and churches to develop a community plan.
- University of Michigan’s School of Social Work provided Technical Assistance.
- Brandeis University did evaluation with Jane Morgan.
- Don Bosco Hall provided wrap around services and non-profit development alliance.
- If someone wants to work or support the community, they can come to the Community Partners group or come to Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance.
Convening/Facilitating/Collaborations: Partner Organizations
- Weatherby Association
- Southfield Plymouth Association
- Warrendale Community Organization
- Warren Avenue Community Organization
- Far West Detroit Civic Association
- West Outer Drive Association
- Just Us
- Franklin Park Community Association
- Joy Community Association
- Friends of Rouge Park
- Cody Village Block Club
- Cody Rouge Faith Alliance (part of Skillman Good Neighborhood Initiatives)
- Don Bosco Hall
- Detroit Impact
- Joy Southfield Community Development Corporation
- Black Family Development
- CDAD
- Operation Hope
- National Faith Homebuyers (Home Buyer’s Education Program for single family rehab).
- National Community Development Institute
- University of Michigan’s School of Social Work
- Brandeis University
- JFM Consulting
- St Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center
- Detroit Public Schools
- Detroit Leadership Academy
- Detroit Innovation Academy
- Warrendale Charter School
- College for Creative Studies
- Dex Design
- ACCESS
- Southwest Solutions
- Cody Rouge Faith Alliance
- Starters Bar & Grille
- Oak Pointe Church
- P.E.E.P.S.
- TNT Educational Services
- KID Network
- Helping Hands
- Brilliant Detroit
- Way Academy
- NFL/YET Boys & Girls Club
- Edison Branch Public Library
Convening/Facilitating/Collaborations: Funders
- Skillman Foundation
- General Motors
- Quicken Loans
- DTE Energy
- Kresge Foundation
- Ford Foundation
- United Way
- LISC Detroit
- Connect Detroit
- Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan
- Detroit Employment Solutions
- Detroit 2 Nepal
Convening/Facilitating/Collaborations: Other Provided Resources
Convening/Facilitating/Collaborations: Important Outcomes or Lessons
- We have a community plan — most recently updated with CDAD. It’s a 5‑year plan. Previously, it was a 10-year plan.
- We completed a perception survey done by Jane Morgan and D3, IFF, Quicken (for technical support) and schools. The plan allows roles to be identified for the different community organizations/residents and the sharing of resources.
Resident Engagement/Empowerment: General Description
- Resident engagement is how Cody Rouge got started.
- We engage residents and developed a community plan. What emerged helped build the capacity of Cody Rouge organizations and also our neighborhood associations.
Individuals who went through this organization ran for office and other leadership roles; they all give back to the community and volunteer.
- Through our partnerships with Black Family, we started 500, resident-led block clubs in this area. We helped support their work and we brought all residents together and created neighborhood partners.
- Community Partners share best practices and meet once a month.
- If someone wants to come into the community, they can come to the group or come to the entire organization.
- Our board structure is made up of majority residents. There are 17 board spots (10 for residents, five for stakeholders (school, church, nonprofit, at large and business) and two youth. There are three committees (resource, program and governance).
- Niccole Nelson is an example of people expanding in the community in terms of their leadership capacity.
Resident Engagement/Empowerment: Partner Organizations
- Black Family Development
- Don Bosco Hall
- Joy Southfield
- Detroit Impact
- Neighborhood Partners
Resident Engagement/Empowerment: Funders
- Skillman Foundation
- General Motors
Resident Engagement/Empowerment: Important Outcomes or Lessons
Outcomes:
Individuals who went through this organization ran for office and other leadership roles; they all give back to the community and volunteer.
Economic Development: General Description
- Joy Southfield before Cody Rouge did more work around Joy Road and renovating housing. At the time, Rodney Gasaway was a board member as a nonprofit representative. We hosted a community planning meeting; Cody Rouge was responsible for getting residents to the meetings. We helped residents figure out who they could trust; the residents liked that the core partners were on the same page. Joy Southfield knew how to create a commercial corridor. They would refer residents to home repair and they would attract volunteers.
- In 2014, Life Remodel assisted with a larger community development project, which was a new football field. Oak Pointe Church in Novi, Michigan stayed after Life Remodel because they wanted to help assist with the beautification projects in the neighborhood. They provided college scholarships and donated toys to the kids. They now have a permanent presence.
- We’ve done 300 blocks worth of blight removal.
We’ve processed over 100+ residents from the 0 percent loan interest program – one of the highest producing.
- Twenty-five homes have been renovated. We identified these families.
- At the end of the partnership, we donated equipment (i.e. lawn mowers and each association received five).
- We have 70 graduates from the program that are all part of the economic development plan.
- We have two houses fully renovated which generated funding to the organization.
- We’ve saved 11 homes from tax foreclosure to retain residents.
- We’ve done over $55,000 in clean ups and development.
- We’ve had 15,000 volunteers within a 10-year period.
- We’ve processed over 100+ residents from the 0 percent loan interest program – one of the highest producing.
- We’ve managed over 300 youth for summer jobs and managed 15 worksites (ages 14–24).
Economic Development: Partner Organizations
- Oak Pointe Church in Novi, Michigan
- GM was doing work inside of Cody Rouge through Life Remodel (GM Foundation Care)
- Southwest Solutions (ProsperUs for a capacity building grant)
- LISC Detroit
- The City of Detroit
- University of Michigan’s Ross Business School (for business development support)
- University of Michigan’s School of Education (for educational support within the high school)
Economic Development: Funders
- Skillman Foundation
- Quicken Loans
- General Motors
Economic Development: Important Outcomes or Lessons
Outcomes:
- We have 70 graduates from the program that are all part of the economic development plan.
- We have two houses fully renovated. This will generate funding to the organization.
- We’ve saved 11 homes from tax foreclosure to retain residents.
- We’ve done over $55,000 in clean ups and development.
- We’ve had 15,000 volunteers within a 10-year period.
- We’ve processed over 100+ residents from the 0 percent loan interest program – one of the highest producing.
- We’ve managed over 300 youth for summer jobs and managed 15 worksites (ages 14–24).
Resident Support: General Description
- We recruited residents to be a part of the leadership academy. NCDI and the University of Michigan lead this work.
- We have a 100% graduation rate for youth council members. We’ve served 70 youth total.
- We’ve distributed lawnmowers.
- There are 555 residents involved in community leadership such as block clubs. We have three committees each with an average of 25 residents though fluctuates.
There has been advancement in leadership in the community and residents’ ability to lead their own meetings and organize solo i.e. they can organize in sub-communities without connecting to Cody Rouge.
- There were 200 people that were surveyed for the perception survey that documented what schools parents were sending their kids to, major issues in the neighborhood and what resources were they lacking and employment. We’re currently looking at and findings.
Resident Support: Partner Organizations
- Black Family Development
- Neighborhood Partners
- Detroit Impact
- Police Department
- CompStat (for safety work)
Resident Support: Funders
- Skillman Foundation
- General Motors
Resident Support: Important Outcomes or Lessons
- We have a community driven community plan.
- Neighborhood issues get addressed. Safety has served as one of the major issues; attracted Wayne State and CompStat to get data to track crime.
- We provided resources for residents that were at the risk of foreclosure.
- There has been advancement in leadership in the community and residents’ ability to lead their own meetings and organize solo i.e. they can organize in sub-communities without connecting to Cody Rouge.
Community Planning and Advocacy: General Description
Community Planning:
We gathered residents and stakeholders to develop the community plan.
Advocacy:
- We found out what the major issues were and safety was the most important one. Youth said the routes to school were not safe. There were blighted homes and dilapidated building. We advocate to fix these issues.
It’s taken 10 years of advocacy to get to the point where the community could transform the neighborhood.
- We worked with the University of Michigan Urban Resource Center for the first four years of the initiative and they showed us how to create blight free zones using power mapping. They trained the residents and determined who we need to reach out. The Youth Council played a huge role in this. We met with City Council and with the State Representatives. We also connected with the City of Detroit Planning and Development Department. We got the first batch of houses boarded up by working with Mitch Albom, Life Remodel and GM.
- It’s taken 10 years of advocacy to get to the point where the community could transform the neighborhood.
Community Planning and Advocacy: Partner Organizations
- University of Michigan Urban Resource Center
- CDAD
- City Council
- State Representative
- State Senator
- City of Detroit Planning and Development Department
- Mitch Albom
- Life Remodel
- GM
Community Planning and Advocacy: Funders
- Skillman Foundation
- Kellogg (provided an operational grant and secured a consultant who helped with board development (DEX Design) for eight years).
- A Community First consultant (helped with our economic and community development pieces).
Community Planning and Advocacy: Outcomes or Lessons
Outcomes:
It’s taken 10 years of advocacy to get to the point where the community could transform the neighborhood.
Frequency Rank:
Convening Facilitating
5
Resident Engagement
5
Economic Development
2–3
Resident Support
5
Community Planning and Advocacy
4
Can you please point us to other organizations in Detroit — especially in your immediate neighborhood — that are doing community development work? (Organization name, contact name, email, phone)
Joy Southfield, Black Family Development (Alice Thompson — Kevin Bryant), Brightmoor Alliance, Don Bosco Hall (Requested full list of neighborhood associations 4/18/17)
Information current as of April 18, 2017