2008 Awards

At the 2008 Detroit Community Development Awards, held on Friday, September 19, 2008, the following awards were presented.

The Home Depot Foundation Community Champion Awards:

Ava Tinsley, Central Woodward Community Champion
Well known and well respected in her Central Woodward community, Ava’s remarkable community leadership is recognized as having an enormous impact.  She is devoted to working with some of our society’s most disadvantaged – prostitutes and prisoners reentering society – all on a volunteer basis.  Ava has phenomenal energy, a positive spirit, and an inspiring desire to see change happen.  She has been described as the epitome of a community champion.

Bill Barlage, East Side Area
Beyond Bill’s duties as President of the East English Village Community Association for the last eight years, he personally provides community security through a civilian patrol of the area, leads regular membership meetings with roundtable discussions for residents, and works closely with city organizations such as the Detroit Police Department.  Bill is clearly devoted to his community, always looking for new ways to keep his neighborhood safe and thriving. 

Shirley Burch, Northeast Area
For almost 30 years, Shirley has served as a neighborhood leader through the Community United for Progress (C.U.P.) organization.  Focusing on love, respect and unity, Shirley has accomplished what many would say is the impossible – she convinced the city Recreation Department to restore a forgotten and out of date park.  This park now has a playscape for all children, including those with special needs and physical disabilities, a first in the city of Detroit.  At the same time, Shirley is busy building strong relationships between residents and businesses.

John O’Brien, Northwest Area
John goes the extra mile on a variety of projects in the Northwest Detroit area, including new housing, greenway efforts, and urban gardening.  His main concern is the improvement and safety of his community.  A seasoned veteran of community development, John is Executive Director of Northwest Detroit Neighborhood Development, the neighborhood-based community development corporation dedicated to the revitalization of the Northwest Detroit's Brightmoor community.

Deb Sumner, Southwest Area
Deb’s name is synonymous with Southwest Detroit.  She grew up in the neighborhood and has served it ever since.  Deb is the volunteer chairperson of the Clark Park Coalition, which she co founded in 1991.  The efforts of this Coalition have saved and revived one of the city’s greatest assets.  Thousands of residents use Clark Park each year, enjoying family picnics, special events, and an impressive array of quality recreation programs, including a large ice rink for hockey.  The park’s selected motto is: ‘teaching our youth to dream.’ 

Community Servant Leader Award Winners

Charter One Foundation Community Servant Leader Award winner:  
The Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries
Nominated for finding solutions to our city’s toughest problems, Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries has served the city for nearly 100 years.  With a slogan of ‘rebuilding the inner-city one life at a time,’ the organization is committed to the residents of Detroit who need assistance the most. The Rescue Mission tackles the tough issues of homelessness, unemployed youth, and those struggling with substance addiction.  It provides over one million meals to the hungry each year, and emergency shelter for thousands of men, women, children, and a growing number of families displaced in our weakened economy.

State Farm Community Servant Leader Award winner:
Community Legal Resources
Community Legal Resources, known to many of us as CLR, works to connect nonprofits with pro-bono legal assistance.  While the main focus of nonprofits is to make an impact in the lives of others, they also face many business realities to get the job done, which can be both time intensive and expensive.  CLR, with the help of private attorneys, provides these nonprofits with pro-bono legal representation.  CLR volunteers have contributed nearly $7 million in pro-bono legal services to over 750 nonprofits that are busy building affordable housing, developing greenway projects, attracting new businesses, feeding and sheltering the homeless, and mentoring youth in Detroit and throughout Michigan.

Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) Community Servant Leader Award winner:
Mike Fisher, Executive Director, Detroit Community Initiative
Named by the Governor’s office as a Community Ambassador, Mike has a vision for the neighborhood and recognizes what must happen to achieve what is best for the city and its residents.  Mike patrols the neighborhoods, identifying problems and solving them.  He is committed to the youth, to the seniors, to home owners, and to businesses.  Mike realizes that the work he does is not for just one group, one race, one culture – he sees that it is for ‘everyone.’  Mike is described as someone who has the will, the drive, and the determination to make a difference; someone who has the ‘heart’ for doing the work, side by side with the community. 

MASCO Corporation Foundation CDC of the Year Award Winner: Southwest Housing Solutions

With a tremendous commitment to Southwest Detroit, Southwest Housing Solutions began in 1979 and serves as a leader in the planning, development, and management of affordable housing and commercial property in the community.  Its mission is to revitalize the neighborhoods in Southwest Detroit, developing collaborative, innovative, and high-quality projects, and enhancing the urban landscape.  In beautifully renovated buildings, it manages over 400 apartment units in 24 multistory historic buildings, stimulating commercial and cultural development through mixed-use projects.  Always looking to meet the needs of residents, their Housing Opportunity Center promotes homeownership and financial literacy through professional, bilingual, and free counseling services.