We will be wearing black and khaki to support the movement of black diamonds and golden dreams.

Black diamonds represent the influential leaders who are making our community a brighter place.

Golden dreams represent the hope we have for the future of Detroit.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT!

DETROIT REVITALIZATION FELLOW TOM HABITZ. Photo courtesy of Model D.

Article by Jay Walljasper of Model D

Tom Habitz, Jr. hears it all the time.

He was out in the suburbs officiating a basketball game, for instance, and the question came up: “Where do you live?” He said, “Detroit” and there was a long pause, followed by “Why?”

“You still get that a lot,” he sighs. “Unfortunately, this attitude holds back progress in the city, but I think you’re seeing it less and less.”

But Habitz understands why people ask why. He grew up in Northville, a suburb west of the city and confesses, “I was definitely afraid of Detroit at one point, and you know a lot of folks are still afflicted by it. Growing up, about all I did in the city was go to Tiger games. Not the Thanksgiving parade, or the riverfront, or the Guardian Building.”

He remembers the first time he drove into Detroit on his own, and turned off the freeway at the wrong exit. “I was really uncomfortable, and almost turned around to go back home. That fear and dismissive attitude was ingrained in a lot of us.”

But midway through college at the University of Michigan, where he studied economics, Habitz remembers becoming intrigued by the city, which he says happens to a lot of young people who grew up in the suburbs.

“A buddy and I volunteered in a project called Motor City Makeover on the West Side, doing things like picking up trash. I had the chance to talk to people there and experience a slice of everyday life, and realized that this was a place worth caring about,” he says. “After that, I went through a period of obsession with Detroit, studying the history and culture. By the time I graduated, I knew I was going to move there.”

Read the full article on Model D‘s website.

Hundreds of passionate volunteers were out cleaning and beautifying their neighborhoods and communities throughout the city’s west side of Detroit on Saturday.

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing said the series of clean ups are needed because there are a lot of people in the city who throw their trash anywhere.

“The whole goal is to get people engaged and to get people involved so that we can bring pride back to our city,” said Bing.

The final Motor City Makeover cleanup day is May 19, when volunteers will clean and beautify in the central and southwest neighborhoods (sectors 4, 5 & 6).

Bing said the actions of helping volunteers will counteract the laziness of others.

“The unfortunate thing is that we have a lot of people who just don’t care, they will throw trash anywhere and it just creates an environment and an atmosphere that we don’t respect each other. We’ve got to start respecting each other, respect ourselves, respect our city and keep it clean,” said Bing.

Individuals and groups interested in helping to clean and beautify Detroit are asked to register by calling 313-224-3450 or visiting www.detroitmi.gov.

In addition, volunteers may take bagged litter to any of the five drop-off locations listed below, which will be open on the three Saturday cleanup dates. Drop-off hours are from 10:30 a.m. until 6 p.m.

• Davison Yard – 8221 West Davison
• Southfield Yard – 12255 Southfield Service Dr.
• 5840 Anthon between Cavalry and Campbell
• State Fair Yard – 19715 John R

A fifth location, J. Fons Transfer Station – 6451 E. McNichols, is open from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Find more information at www.detroitmi.gov.

WWJ Newsradio 950′s Vickie Thomas reports that the Motor City Makeover gets underway next Saturday.

Marcus Harris, with ARISE Detroit!, is helping get the word out on the clean up effort.

“We have a mailing list of over 2000 participants, community leaders and citizens and we distribute Motor City Makeover registration to that distribution list,” said Harris. “We’ve announced to our volunteers to get involved because at the end of the day it is up to us, the citizens, to really keep the city clean.”

D’Shay Woodard is a job core student who recruited her first volunteer at the gathering: “She actually came up and asked the question, I told her we were volunteering to clean up.”

Diamond Fields is ready to do her part, “I think it really important – just to keep the air clean – and keep stuff clean, so we can be able to walk through and not look down at trash,” she said.

The first clean up will focus on the city’s east side.

The city will be cleaned by sector. Sectors 1, 2, and 3 will be cleaned on April 28; Sectors 7, 8, 9, and 10 will be cleaned on May 12; and Sectors 4, 5, and 6 will be cleaned on May 19.

Residents, business owners, houses of worship, block clubs, and schools are encouraged to:

• Call (313) 224-3450 to register to join the cleanup effort or register online HERE.
• Clean the area around their home, business, house of worship, or school on the Saturday designated for their sector.
• Organize their neighborhoods or their employees for a massive group cleanup. Volunteers can select a nearby area or call (313) 224-3450 or their local Community Access Center (CAC) for a location.
• Beautify their area by planting flowers, plants, or trees, or by removing graffiti, etc.