Whether it’s creating a safe environment for children to learn and create, providing software for better agriculture, or sponsoring children in countries like Kenya and Nepal, these nonprofits are creating good news across the metro Detroit area.
NoChild
Operating on the belief that no child should die from starvation or disease or be denied sufficient education, NoChild benefits children in developing countries across the world. The nonprofit organization supports kids in countries such as Kenya, India, and Nepal where essential resources and proper child care are scarce. Sponsoring a child begins at $45 dollars a month and covers important needs including housing, meals, health care, and education.
Kensington Church is a Michigan-based community with campuses across metro Detroit and has a weekly service attendance of more than 14,000 congregants. NoChild is Kensington’s attempt at breaking institutional poverty through financial and emotional support. In addition to food, water, and health care, sponsored children are immersed in a faith-filled community and given a chance to socialize and build their self-confidence with other students.
Donations and sponsorships can be made by visiting kensingtonchurch.org.
Dunbar Hospital
Celebrating its centennial, Dunbar Hospital — now a museum — was a first of its kind in Detroit. Founded in 1919 by a group of African American doctors, Dunbar was the first hospital in the city to accept African American patients and staffers during a time when people of color often received inferior medical care due to the segregation of Detroit’s larger hospitals.
For more information, visit nps.gov.
Art Road
Having provided more than 14,000 students with art classes over the past 15 years, Art Road has become a staple in Detroit’s art scene. Founder Carol Hofgartner had the idea for the nonprofit in the late 1990s, while speaking at a Detroit elementary school’s Career Day. When she discovered art classes had been eliminated in schools across the city due to budget cuts, Hofgartner, a former architect, sprung to action. In 2004, she founded Art Road, bringing volunteer art courses to grade schools in need.
Between 2018-2019, Art Road was able to facilitate art classes to more than 2,000 students in five schools across metro Detroit. Still, Hofgartner has her work cut out for her as the region remains low in its offerings of art classes at large. Of the 81 schools that comprise the Detroit public school system, 55 of them did not have art programs in 2017.
To raise the finances necessary to expand their lessons, Art Road holds regular events, including a partnership with The Michigan Glass Project, and, of course, always accepts donations.
To donate or volunteer, visit artroadnonprofit.org
FarmLogs
Founded in 2011, FarmLogs has spent eight years developing software and collecting data to benefit farmers in the U.S. One example is the Ann Arbor-based company’s recently published sampling, which details just how rainy of a year 2019 has been.
For more information, visit farmlogs.com.
Mecca Development
Aiming to improve the quality of life for Detroit’s far east side, Mecca Development recently received a $15,000 grant from the Gannett Foundation. The organization plans to hold woodshop courses and seminars for expectant parents to benefit the community.
For more information, visit meccadc.org.
American Forests
The nation’s first forest conservatory, founded in 1875, announced its support for the Climate Stewardship Act in August. This act is estimated to make a notable dent in the climate crisis and offset more than two years of America’s greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, it is predicted that this initiative will create more than 200,000 forestry jobs. American Forests’ support of this act is no surprise. The nonprofit has devoted itself to advances in the conservation of forests for over 140 years.
For more information, visit americanforests.org.
|
|
|
