Detroit Community Outreach

The Plug - a community through which High School students in Detroit are accompanied through the complexities of their lives, receiving connections to both vital community resources and the eternal hope of the Gospel. Staff members meet with High Schoolers in small-group settings, providing them with the chance to share openly about the struggles they may face, and to receive the encouragement and help they need. Once per week, all participants meet together to play games, and listen to talks and engage in relevant group discussion. A key piece of our work is assisting our youth in navigating and gaining access to the many resources that may be available to them. Examples include connecting our youth to food banks, shelters, financial health seminars/workshops, mental health professionals, primary care physicians, tutoring services, and literacy support. Approximate number of youth served: 25.

StreetTeam Leadership Training Program - a 6-week leadership and job training program where High School students are given the tools to grow practically, socially and spiritually. We provide them with work experience, training in resume writing and job interviewing, training in financial literacy, opportunities to participate in outdoor adventure trips, activities to promote self-discovery and growth in self-confidence, leadership development, and one-on-one mentoring. Required participation is 5 days per week, full-time. This previous summer, due to Covid-19, the program moved to a virtual experience but we were able to partner with a city of Detroit initiative Grow Detroit Young Talent to ensure we provided each of the aforementioned program elements to our youth. Full-time participants: 19 youth

In addition to its youth programs, Detroit Community Outreach conducts regular large group prayer meetings and small group meetings for personal growth and encouragement. DCO continues a strong emphasis on serving the poor, building relationships between churches and working to strengthen relationships across racial lines. Volunteer service projects are organized to benefit individuals and churches in Detroit, and donations of food and clothing are periodically made to needy families. Approximate number of individuals served by DCO in these various ways is 200+.

Detroit Summer Outreach - a 9-week internship giving college-aged men and women from around the globe the opportunity to live and serve in Detroit for two months, receiving the formation for a radical life of mission. Interns work as crew leaders for StreetTeam and camp supervisors for The Bezalel Project. Responsibilities include planning, organizing and leading retreats, camping trips and service projects, supervising StreetTeam work crews, assisting summer school teachers in the classroom, tutoring, one-on-one mentoring, and take part in various service projects for the city's marginalized communities. Due to Covid-19, we were unable to host interns during the summer of 2020, however we intend to resume hosting interns in some form in the summer of '21. Full-time participants: 5 interns