On Friday, November 3, organizations from across the state of Michigan representing community foundations, nonprofits and local governments met to discuss the future of Children’s Saving Accounts (CSAs) in Michigan. CSAs are long-term savings or investment accounts that help children (ages 0-18) and their families, especially those from low-income families, build savings for the future. CSAs:

• Provide incentives to grow savings, such as initial deposits, savings matches or prize-linked savings and;
• are usually used for postsecondary education (e.g. college, vocational/technical schools), though other possible uses include homeownership and financing a small business.

Led by Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM), Barry Community Foundation and City of Lansing – Office of Financial Empowerment, the role of this consortium is to advance the field of CSAs in Michigan. The Consortium spent the day discussing how they can bring CSAs to their local communities, tackle asset building policy issues in Michigan and ways to support their local CSA efforts.

When asked why organizations were inspired to launch a CSA program, representatives mentioned that they feel CSAs are a tool to end generational poverty, give low-income families hope for their child’s future, combat the student loan crisis and create communities of caring.

A new report from Prosperity Now, Investing in Dreams, found the following CSA benefits:

The Michigan Children’s Savings Account (CSA) Consortium plans to host its next meeting in mid-February. Interested organizations that want to learn more or join the conversation happening right now about CSAs can contact  for additional information.

By Camille Allen, CEDAM Communications Intern

Many urban programs are directed at youth, but it is not often that we see these programs driven by youth themselves. For CEDAM Member Urban Neighborhood Initiatives (UNI), this is nothing out of the ordinary. This past year, over 1,500 adolescents engaged in the organization’s leadership programs, which include youth designed and facilitated workshops on substance abuse, movies in the park and a school lunch improvement campaign.

Part of UNI’s mission is indigenous leadership, meaning they aim to have a staff that is more reflective of the community it serves, and provide the youth of Detroit with leadership positions in these programs that ensures that they will be able grow into positions with more responsibility. UNI puts young people at the forefront of their movement, and this philosophy is strongly reflected in their video titled Why Youth:

I recently had the opportunity to catch up with executive director Christine Bell to discuss UNI’s annual breakfast, a day for the organization, along with guest speakers and members of the community, to discuss successes from the past year and plans for the one ahead. As 2017 comes to a close, it is clear that Detroit, and the state of Michigan, have much to be proud of when it comes to this nonprofit organization. 

Recognized for their youth-centric philosophy, UNI was deemed a lead agency for Grow Detroit’s Young Talent this past summer, providing nearly two-hundred youth individuals with work experience. The organization brings individuals into the workforce through their community-based programs including their Southwest Urban Arts Mural Project, their Urban Forestry and Recreation program and their Apprenticeship Program which places youth in local businesses and organizations that correlate to their career goals for the future. In addition to being named a lead organization, UNI was the only organization in the entire city of Detroit to utilize America Saves, a savings program aimed at teaching children about banking and saving.

“All of our young people have opened banking and savings accounts,” Bell said.

Their youth has collectively saved $92,000 dollars and pledged to use their savings for education. This pledge largely sets them apart from other programs which do not prioritize saving for education. Not only were they first in the city to use this program, but they are one of thirty organizations in the nation to implement it.

In addition to youth development, UNI focuses on land use and economic development. Through their Land Stewardship Program, residents identify vacant lots they would like revitalized and UNI supports them in the restoration process. Bell stresses that they try to create a sense of self-sufficiency in the community.

“Our goal is to get residents to a point where they can care for the land themselves,” Bell said.

This past year 55 lots were beautified and they have claimed over 150 for the long-term stewardship of the residents.  This year their Green Team, which is part of their Urban Forestry and Recreation Program, redeveloped and beautified three pocket-parks in the city, creating safe spaces for children and families to enjoy.

Just as much as the organization strives to beautify the area and get the best use out of its land, they also care a great deal about justice in the community. This is reflected in their ongoing project to renovate the Lawndale Center. The Lawndale Center is set to become the first community-based justice center in the state, with future tenants including Lakeshore Legal Aid and the Southwest Detroit Community Justice Center. This center will provide an accessible way to address crime and reconnect people with their communities.

This year UNI made significant progress on the Lawndale Center renovation, and a unique aspect of this ongoing renovation is its participatory design process. This allows stakeholders and community members to have a say in the design of the center and influence the outcome of the project.

“There is nothing we’ve done that hasn’t come from the community,” Bell said. “We believe that residents know what the problems are in their community, and need support solving those problems and have a better understanding of how to do so.”

Bell also discussed some of the organization’s plans for 2018. In addition to beginning the renovation process on the other half of the Lawndale Center, UNI plans to develop a community land trust. Through their partnership with ProsperUS Detroit, a community development organization that focuses on entrepreneurship training and business services, they will be hosting classes and looking into new ways to provide residents with more economic opportunities.

With all of this in store, Urban Neighborhood Initiatives has given us much to look forward to in the upcoming year.

CEDAM proudly hosts a fresh cohort of more than 30 people dedicated to improving Michigan’s communities through two AmeriCorps programs: the Michigan Financial Opportunity Corps (MFOC) and the Rural Opportunity VISTA Program. Members in the MFOC facilitate financial education classes and events, and members in the VISTA program serve to build capacity for organizations reducing poverty in rural areas. These are just two of the many AmeriCorps programs that contribute to over 600 full-time service members in the 2017-18 term that serve to reduce the causes of poverty in Michigan.

While other AmeriCorps programs will match accepted individuals to a host site for their service, CEDAM is unique in relying on member organizations to recruit their own AmeriCorps members. This has proven essential in the program’s integration and acceptance into the tightly-knit communities across the state and gives the program a broad range of representation for the communities that exist in Michigan. Our members are equipped with the tremendous resources available to them as members of AmeriCorps and CEDAM as well as in-depth understandings of the poverty and needs that they are addressing.

Kate Lietz, VISTA Member

Greetings! I’m Kate Lietz, and I first heard of AmeriCorps more than 10 years ago when I served on a trail crew partnering with AmeriCorps and the Student Conservation Association. My current position was previously held by a woman who participates in my organic farm’s Community Supported Agriculture program. She and I both share a passion for quality, healthful food and it was through her that I applied and accepted my assignment with the Lakeshore Food Club.

The food club, which functions very much like a regular grocery store, opens its doors in October. Once in operation, the food club will be primarily volunteer-run, so a big part of my focus will be recruiting and training volunteer staff to manage nearly every aspect of the club. Since the majority of the club’s food is being purchased through Feeding America and other distributors, I will also be working to secure additional and ongoing funding.

I’m excited to work with community members that share my enthusiasm for food, food access and healthy lifestyles. I’ve already learned so much in just a few weeks connecting with folks in the community, some who I knew previously and many I am just beginning to meet. There is a lot of love and buzz around this project and I am curious to see its evolution as the food club gets off the ground.

Jaime Junior, MFOC Member

I’m Jaime Junior, a 41-year-old mother of one and a native Detroiter with Cerebral Palsy. My primary reason for wanting to serve with AmeriCorps is that as a person with a disability I understand the feelings of helplessness and being marginalized, so I think that I am in a unique position to help others in my community. My thinking is that my tenacity or keep-it-moving spirit, if you will, could inspire people to do just that! Reach higher, be better and make it easier to start the conversation about overcoming a seemingly bleak situation. Essentially, giving out of my own need.

My project focuses on creating financial empowerment by providing access to information through the facilitation of financial literacy workshops and promoting financial goal setting and savings. I am looking forward to helping people gain access to information and developing skills to better manage their money and leverage resources available to them so that they can save and grow financially. Even if its twenty dollars, they will feel better and more in control of their situations and ultimately be more self-sufficient.

My vision for the community is to make the “money” conversation more palatable and inclusive. I envision the reshaping of whole communities because empowered people make for more engaged neighbors; thriving communities and eventually, a better quality of life for our prioritized populations.

Amber Wiechec, MFOC Member

My name is Amber Wiechec and I am a CEDAM AmeriCorps Member serving at United Way of Saginaw County. During my service term, I will be promoting financial stability through facilitating financial education classes, hosting a Show Me the Money Day event, and coordinating the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program within Saginaw County.

I fell into the AmeriCorps program by chance more than anything. I recently graduated from college and was job searching, as you do, and felt unsatisfied with the positions I was applying for. Straight out of college a job is a job, but I really wanted to do something where I could actually feel that what I was doing mattered. I had no idea what AmeriCorps was when I applied to the listing for United Way of Saginaw County, but I knew that I met all of the listed requirements and that was exciting enough.

What I am looking forward to the most is being able to make a direct impact on the lives of others. I’ve already jumped head first into VITA, and while there are a few setbacks going into this season the volunteer response that I have already received is highly encouraging. I’ve also been able to make some headway in facilitating financial education classes and will officially be teaching my first class in just a couple of weeks. I look forward to improving the financial stability of Saginaw County residents during my year of service!

Ryan Bond, VISTA Member

I was influenced to submit an AmeriCorps VISTA application by the vast array of experiences that a close friend had during her AmeriCorps year. I selected the opportunity in Grand Haven due to factors that aligned with recent research in Germany and the U.S as well as my plans to explore future career options in urban/rural planning and community development.

The largest project of my first few weeks here has involved outreach for our annual ArtWalk, a collaboration of the lakeshore art and business communities in a collective celebration of art. There are over 150 individual works of art this year spread across the downtown area that actively engage the residents of Grand Haven and draw many visitors. This event also infuses downtown businesses with increased sales, which is a much needed “off-season” catalyst for the primarily summer tourist economy. Even at this early stage in my year of service I have already had several occasions to meet with business owners and leaders who have brought significant impact to the city by supporting this annual event. ArtWalk has been an excellent “initiation” mechanism into active community engagement in Grand Haven, and I have been consistently treated with respect and gratitude for my service and goals for the coming year. The event has caused me to focus on future projects and acquainted me with the challenges and rewards of serving in this region.

Outreach and community engagement are the primary objectives in my present role in Grand Haven, and I’ve presented ideas for multiple projects to implement during my year in Grand Haven. I wish to establish a firm internship program with colleges and high schools where students will be able to gain experience through volunteer and community service initiatives. I also hope to establish a conduit of innovative partnerships to bolster and enhance the mission of Grand Haven Main Street: “to strengthen the economic base of our vibrant historic business district through community efforts and events, and public and private partnerships.”