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LIVE CHAT

Category: Events

Participants Share Their Graduation Stories

May. 29 2014 | Tags: , , ,

It is graduation season for our high school seniors so we sat down with a few participants to talk about their high school experiences. Of course, each path to graduation is different. Each of our girls has a different story; each had her own struggles and her own accomplishments. These are some of their stories.

Brittany

“English is my favorite subject because I get to learn about all of the different stuff that has happened by reading the plays, like Hamlet”, Brittany shares. Brittany is a Peer Educator (PE) in AFG’s Outreach and Education Services Department. An honor roll student, Brittany says she will miss her peers now that high school is over but is looking forward to finding a job and getting her own car.

Although Brittany worked hard to get good grades throughout high school, she admits that there were times she struggled in doing just that. “The work is (typically) easy, but at times it can be challenging. Some of the classes I got, like accounting, were hard”, Brittany recalls. Through these difficult times, Brittany says that her coordinators and fellow PE’s played a role in keeping her moving forward, “They motivate you to stay in school and make sure you’re on the right track”.

Brittany has succeeded despite these hard times and is proud of herself for being an honor roll student and getting good grades. After she graduates, Brittany has plans to pursue a career as a Pediatrician by studying at Wayne County Community College and Wayne State University. As for the incoming freshmen who will be starting high school next year, Brittany has some words of wisdom for them, “It’s a good experience. You learn a lot about friends, school, work, and boys”.

Taija

Taija is a Shelter Aftercare participant who is also attending the Transition to Independent Living (TIL) classes here at AFG.  As a senior getting prepared to graduate, Taija says her favorite class is Personal Finance and the thing she will miss most about high school is learning.

Taija’s path to graduation included becoming pregnant with her daughter. “When I was younger I didn’t get great grades, since I’ve been a senior I’ve been making better grades. I think my daughter has motivated me”, Taija explains. “When she grows up, I want her to get good grades in school. I don’t want her to do bad like I did”, she continues. While pregnant, Taija was a resident in AFG’s shelter and was determined to keep school a priority, taking the bus to get there and back every day.  

Since leaving the shelter, Taija has continued participating in AFG programming by joining the TIL classes. “I joined the TIL group because there was more I could benefit from, like scholarships”, Taija shares. After she graduates, Taija is currently deciding between attending a trade school to become a nurse’s assistant or joining the National Guard. “The National Guard can help you with your life, you have to get up every morning and be dedicated. I think I can do that”, she explains. In addition to her future career plans, Taija is looking forward to getting an apartment, a new job, and taking care of her daughter on her own.

Alternatives For Girls is proud of all of the graduates and wishes them the best of luck in all of their future endeavors!

AFG Heads to Lansing to Advocate for Homeless and Runaway Youth

May. 28 2014 | Tags: , , , ,

For the third year in a row, Alternatives For Girls staff and participants traveled to the state capitol to speak with State Representatives and build awareness of runaway and homeless youth. Every year the Michigan Network for Youth and Families (MNYF) organizes Dome Day, a day for organizations to set up shop in the Capitol, have meetings with State Legislators, bring awareness to the needs of runaway and homeless youth in Michigan, and convince them the importance of thinking of these youth when voting on the next budget. Although AFG staff planned on attending Dome Day on March 12th, along with other youth-focused agencies, the Outreach and Education Services (OES) and Shelter/Transition to Independent Living (TIL) staff were unable to attend due to inclement weather.

Undeterred from their original goal, OES and Shelter/TIL staff made arrangements with MNYF to schedule 7 to 8 meetings with State Legislators on April 30th. “Our main goal was to convey to the Legislators that although funding for runaway and homeless youth is currently tied in with the Foster Care system, because they have some similarities, there really needs to be separate funding because both groups are so unique”, explains Deena Policicchio, AFG’s Outreach and Education Services Director. According to Deena, this funding has not increased at the rate of cost of living. “In addition, we also wanted to connect the link between sex trafficking, which is on everyone’s mind right now, and homeless and runaway youth. Because homeless and runaway youth are some of the most vulnerable to sex trafficking, they really need to be focused on when creating legislation and allocating funds”, Deena explains.

Along with one current Shelter resident, Deena was joined by Lynzi Tarango, Shelter Case Planner, and Nkenge Burkhead, OES Youth Street Outreach Coordinator. Throughout the day, they met with staff from the offices of Representative Farris, Representative Lafontaine, plus others, and had an in person meeting with Representative Coleman A. Young. “One of the highlights of the day was getting the chance to meet with the Representatives. They were very interested and attentive to what we had to say”, Lynzi shares. The importance of the day was not lost on Raven, a current Shelter resident, who told Lynzi she didn’t realize how big of a deal it was that they had this opportunity until they got there. Lynzi explained, “Raven shared her experience of being homeless as well as her experiences since being here at AFG. She did a great job answering questions and advocating for homeless and runaway youth”.

Eastern Market Farm Stand Program Selects AFG as Host Site

May. 28 2014 | Tags: , ,

Alternatives For Girls is teaming up with Eastern Market’s Farm Stand Program this summer to become one of the 19 different locations throughout Detroit where community members can purchase fresh produce. Starting June 24th and running through September 30th, Eastern Market will bring their Farm Stand Market to AFG every Tuesday from 2:30-5:00pm in front of the AFG building (903 West Grand Boulevard). Equipped with a 10×10 pop up tent and a table, two Eastern Market Farm Stand employees, known as “Fresh Food Fellows”, will sell seasonal fruits and vegetables as well as some specialty products such as honey, jams, organic grains, and healthy snacks.

One of the main goals of the Eastern Market Farm Stand Program is to encourage the community to think about incorporating more fruits and vegetables into their diet and showing them how to use seasonal produce to achieve that goal. The Fresh Food Fellows who staff each Farm Stand embody this mission by offering a wide range of information on the nutritional value of the foods at the stand and culinary uses of local produce.In addition to helping educate the community, the Farm Stand Program also aims to tailor each stand to community members needs by taking requests and bringing a unique variety of produce to each food stand based on what those customers want.

Each Farm Stand, including the one at AFG, will feature some Michigan grown produce and produce that reflects the type of food that can be grown in Michigan. In attempt to get customers to learn how to eat seasonally and see the economic benefits of eating foods in season, stands will not offer things that cannot be grown in Michigan, such as bananas or citrus fruits. Every Eastern Market Farm Stand will accept Bridge Cards, Credit/Debit Cards, Cash, Double Up Food Bucks, WIC Project Fresh Coupons, and Senior Market Coupons.  The Alternatives For Girls Farm Stand is open to the public. For more information on the program and other Eastern Market Farm Stands around Detroit, visit www.DetroitEasternMarket.com.

Peer Educators Sew Hats for Children’s Hospital

Apr. 24 2014 | Tags: , ,

This winter, youth in AFG’s Outreach and Education Services Peer Education program expressed to AFG staff that they wanted to do a volunteer service project for the Children’s Hospital of Michigan. After considering a few different options, they decided to make fleece hats for the children at the hospital. With the help of one of our fantastic volunteers, the Peer Educators learned to sew the hats. They used a variety of colorful fleece, which provided joy and, most importantly, warmth during those frigid winter temperatures we experienced in Detroit this year.

The first meeting the Peer Educators (PE’s) had was a preparation meeting, where they learned how to cut out the pieces of fleece based on the size of hat they were making. Next, they spent about 5 hours one afternoon, learning to sew and completing their hats. After they learned how to create the hats, the Peer Educators had to teach the whole process to one of their program coordinators. The purpose of this exercise was to help the PE’s fully learn and retain their new skills.

Peer Educator, Tiana, spoke about why the project was important to her, “Making the hats for the children was very heart warming and it feels good to help other people, if I’m capable of doing it. I hope they all loved the hats.”

In total, the youth made 23 hats! A group of the Peer Educators met with Lindsay Heering, the Manager of Child Life Services at Children’s Hospital, to deliver the complete hats. Lindsay gave the group a tour and told them about all the programs at the hospital. The young women in AFG’s Peer Education program were so inspired by the project that they would like to do another project later this year to make fleece blankets for the children at the hospital.

The Peer Educators are hoping to collect donations of new fleece in order to have enough supplies to complete a blanket project. If you’d like to support the cause with a fabric donation, please contact Alex Hayes at ahayes@alternativesforgirls.org or (313) 361-4000 x223.

Prevention Department Travels to Costa Rica!

Apr. 24 2014 | Tags: , ,

This week, our Prevention Department took eight young women to Costa Rica for four days! Through private donations and support from the Born and Raised Detroit Foundation, the Prevention Department organized the trip with the goal of giving girls the opportunity to travel and experience a different culture.

The trip was open to middle and high school aged participants in the Prevention Department’s Afterschool Program through a Grade Point Average (GPA) challenge. The girls with the two highest GPA’s in the high school group and in the middle school group were selected to go. Additionally, two girls from each age group who had the largest improvement in GPA over one term were also selected to go on the trip.

Over the past several months staff members have worked hard to help the young women and their parents prepare for the trip.  They have held bi-weekly meetings with the high school and middle school girls, where they covered a range of topics including: safety, necessary immunizations, facts about Costa Rica, information about the culture change, appropriate etiquette, and much more! Since this was the first time any of the participants have ridden an airplane, they also gave the girls information about the airport and traveling by plane. Although four of the young women going on the trip are bilingual in English and Spanish, the preparation meetings have also included some basic Spanish lessons so all of the youth will know some key phrases and words they can use while in Costa Rica.

“A trip abroad has been known to boost self-confidence and self-worth and we are hoping that the young ladies participating will take advantage of other opportunities available to them and not see any barriers to reaching their full potential,” said Valorie Evans, Prevention Department Director, and visionary for this trip. Valorie recognized how international travel had influenced her own life, and she wanted to bring that experience to the youth in Alternatives For Girls’ programs. She hopes this opportunity will give these young women the chance to “be exposed to a new environment and help them be confident to travel on their own in the future.”

Once the youth return from their trip, we’ll share their experiences with you in our printed spring newsletter. Please watch for that story in your mailbox in the coming month!

Role Model Dinner Raises Crucial Funds

Apr. 24 2014 | Tags:

On March 19th, Alternatives For Girls held our 25th annual Role Model Dinner at The Fillmore. The event raised an unprecedented $294,000 to support our critical work!

The Role Model Dinner, chaired this year by Myra Moreland, provided an opportunity for us to hear from many of the young women whose lives have been changed by AFG’s programs. We heard stories of struggle and triumph, and many reflections on the theme of the night, Beautiful Potential.

Nearly 400 guests enjoyed an exciting live and silent auction as well as a moving program, which honored several extraordinary women. The event honored two role models, Ms. Amyre Makupson and Ms. Andra Rush.  The event also honored a keynote speaker, Ms. Grace Lieblein, whose speech was certainly one of the highlights of the night!

We would like to thank Myra Moreland, and all of the sponsors who helped make the event such an incredible success! Special thanks to the members of AFG’s Campaign to Secure AFG’s Future committee, and all of the donors who contributed to our live and silent auction. We’d also like to thank Devin Scillian, our fantastic emcee, Chris Aslanian, our esteemed auctioneer, and all of the volunteers who helped make the event possible. Thank you to all of the young women from our programs; Angelique, Veleesa, Elizabeth, Robbie, Tyler, Amera, and Shameeka, who shared their stories and showed us the courage and determination it takes to discover one’s beautiful potential. Finally, we want to thank everyone who attended the event for spending the evening with us and for showing such overwhelming support for AFG’s programs.

Sponsors: Suburban Collection, PVS Chemicals/James B. and Ann Nicholson, Ford Motor Company, AVL, Lear Corporation, CAP-CON, Dakkota Integrated Systems, Driving for America, Flagstar Bank, HAP, Mercedes Benz Financial Services, SKF, TI Automotive, CHE Trinity Health, Corporate FACTS, Comerica Charitable Foundation, Detroit Investment Fund, General Motors, GMAWOV Book Club, Henry Ford Health System, Metro West Chapter Credit Union, MGM Grand, Rodgers Chevrolet, St. John Providence Health System, Towers Watson, Shiloh Industries, Corp!, MetroTimes

Generous Support from: General Motors Foundation

Design Work Provided by: Union AdWorks