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Tag: Events

2016 Role Model Dinner: A Beautiful Chain of Events

Mar. 31 2016 | Tags: ,

On March 16, Alternatives For Girls held our 27th Annual Role Model Dinner at Cobo Center. The event raised over $231,000 to support our critical work!

The evening was full of fun and inspiration. After an hour of mingling and a silent auction, the program kicked off with a live auction. Luther Keith, ARISE Detroit CEO and former AFG Board Member, emceed the event. The dinner, co-chaired this year by Don Manvel and Barbara Whittaker, 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, A Beautiful Chain of Events: A Link that Lasts a Lifetime. The evening closed with the thrilling “Fund the Mission,” led by auctioneer Chris Aslanian, during which event guests pledged monetary support to AFG.

In between was a time of reflection and inspiration as the young women of AFG and the 2016 Role Models shared their stories. Many shared empowering messages, like this statement from community volunteer and Champion Role Model Awardee, Janet McAuliffe “The investment in helping girls and women to be safe, to grow strong and to make positive choices has far reaching benefits for all of us. We know that as women grow through education, they have a strong positive influence on their children and their extended families. When they have good job skills and earning opportunity they can provide an economic competitive advantage to our community and to our country.”

We would like to thank our dinner co-chairs, Don Manvel and Barbara Whittaker, and the entire Role Model Dinner Committee, who helped make the event such an incredible success! We would also like to thank Luther Keith, our emcee, Chris Aslanian, our esteemed auctioneer, and all of the amazing volunteers who helped make the event possible. Thank you to all of the young women from our programs; Guadalupe, Diedre, De’Anna, April, and Jamese, who shared their stories and showed us the courage and determination it takes to make key choices.

AFG also gratefully thanks this year’s Role Model Dinner sponsors: AVL, Flagstar Bank, Ford Motor Company Fund, PVS Chemicals, Suburban Collection, Brooks Kushman, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, UAW Chrysler National Training Center, UAW Ford and Jimmy Settles, Argent International, BW Limited, Comerica Bank, Corporate F.A.C.T.S., DTE Energy Foundation, FirstMerit Bank, Global Automotive Alliance, GMAWOV Book Club, Health Alliance Plan, Henry Ford Health Systems, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Metro West Chapter of Credit Unions, MGM Grand Detroit, Plate Moran, Rush Group Family of Companies, St. John Providence, Trinity Health, Willis Towers Watson, Beaumont Hospital, Carole Ilitch, George Johnson & Company, Kerr-Russell, Miller Canfield, Roger Garrett, Grigg Graphic Services, Hour Detroit Magazine, and Union AdWorks for donating design services.

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!

To see photos from this year’s dinner, check out the Hour Detroit photo album here!

Youth Leaders Help Girls Rise and Shine

Aug. 31 2015 | Tags: , , , ,

“During the field trip to Sky Zone, I remember thinking it would be impossible to get 70 girls to take their shoes off, put the socks on, and get ready to play. But we all worked together and we got it done,” Anna, a first year Youth Leader, remembers. Making the seemingly impossible happen isn’t in the job description for the Rise N’ Shine Youth Leaders, but it is definitely something they can now add to their resume. This summer, 25 Youth Leaders assisted AFG staff in hosting the Prevention Department’s annual Rise N’ Shine summer camp. The camp, for girls between the ages of 4-14  living in Southwest Detroit, is designed to allow the participants to learn new skills, improve their literacy, and make new friends, all in a fun and welcoming environment.

The Youth Leaders, all between the ages of 16-24, had to have a 2.5 or higher Grade Point Average, be currently enrolled in school, and possess leadership skills to be hired for the job. “I decided to apply to become a Youth Leader because I love working with kids and being a mentor to them,” Kiara, another first year Youth Leader, shares. In addition to receiving a weekly stipend, the Youth Leaders also participated in weekly trainings on topics such as CPR/First Aid, conflict resolution, financial literacy and more. These topics prepared them for issues they may face during the camp while also helping to improve and increase valuable employability skills, such as time management. “Getting the girls from being active to having to sit down and eat lunch was hard, but learning to manage my time made it easier,” Anna shares.

A typical day for the Youth Leaders started at 8am with breakfast. Working with AFG staff, the Youth Leaders helped prepare and serve breakfast, check each camper in as they arrived, and then got the girls ready for their first workshop of the day. Some of the workshops this year included cooking, arts and crafts, reading, chemistry, and gardening. After guiding the participants to their workshops, the Youth Leaders provided support to each workshop facilitator by taking participants to the bathroom, running errands, and making sure each girl is participating and having fun. “Participating in the workshops with the girls inspires them to get more involved, talk about what they are learning, and come up with ideas for things. It also makes them feel more at home,” Kiara explains. When it is time for lunch, Youth Leaders helped prepare and serve the food until it was time to take the participants to their afternoon workshops. At the end of the day, they helped serve a snack while checking out each girl as they leave to go home.

The fast-paced environment allowed each Youth Leader to work on the skills they learned during their trainings, such as communication. “I have improved my communication skills with the younger girls. Because they take everything literally, you have to be careful what you say so you don’t have a misunderstanding,” Kiara shares. Of course, challenges arose as well. One of the things the Youth Leaders had to overcome was learning how to work together as such a large team. “It was really interesting to see all the different sides of the other Leaders. It has been hard at times, but by the end, everyone was more comfortable and we all bonded,” Anna remembers, smiling. This teamwork allowed them to execute another successful, exciting summer of Rise N’ Shine.

2015 Rise N’ Shine Finale

Aug. 31 2015 | Tags: , , , ,

“One thing I’ve learned this summer is to be fearless!” Makhya, one of the 70 campers who attended Rise N’ Shine, AFG’s free summer camp, shares while smiling from ear to ear. Rise N’ Shine tends to have this effect on the girls, aged 4-14, who attend each summer. Between the fresh summer air, countless fun activities, and new friends everywhere you turn, Rise N’ Shine is a recipe for a fun summer vacation. Indeed, the fun is what brings girls back year after year and allows them to experience workshops like gardening, chemistry, cooking, dance, and much more.

The excitement is tangible as you walk into the room for the camp’s summer finale. Held at AFG on August 13, the finale highlights what the campers have learned and accomplished during the summer and allows them to share it with their family and friends, who are invited to attend. Before the program begins, the girls introduce their parents to the new friends they have made, the Youth Leaders who have been supervising their groups all summer, and the AFG staff members who made the whole summer possible.

Once the program begins, the crowd enjoys perfectly choreographed dances, beautifully arranged songs sung by the campers and the Youth Leaders, and two plays performed by the girls from the Turning Books into Plays workshop. The plays, “Cinderella” and “You and Me and Home Sweet Home”, were books the girls adapted into plays and practiced all summer long. After weeks of preparation and practice, each girl excitedly and enthusiastically preforms her parts and then bows to a round of applause once they finish. After the performances, each participant is recognized for her accomplishments in the award ceremony. The youth leaders call up the girls they helped supervise and proudly awarded them a certificate of competition.

Before it’s time to leave, each girl receives their own 2015 Rise N’ Shine yearbook. As they race around trying to get their friends, Youth Leaders, and workshop facilitators to sign their books, they take a break to talk about what they learned and what they enjoyed most this summer. “This summer I’ve learned to be kind, not disrespectful or rude,” one girl shares. Another camper agrees and adds, “I’ve learned how to be challenged by new things.” Of course, their favorite things about Rise N’ Shine are also the things they will miss the most, “I’m going to miss my friends and my Youth Leader!” JaMiah, a returning camper, shares. One thing all of the girls agree on, they can’t wait to come back next summer and do it all over again!

Alternatives For Girls would like to thank all of the volunteers and donors who made Rise N’ Shine possible this summer!

The Dow Chemical Company Event Provides Vital Support to AFG Programs

Aug. 3 2015 | Tags: , , , ,

On a mild summer day, 100 employees from The Dow Chemical Company and four Alternatives For Girls Peer Educators (PEs) are outside of the H Hotel in Midland Michigan, packing backpacks and hygiene kits and assembling bicycles and picnic tables. A few of the PEs grab a packing list for the backpacks and start looking for the items that belong in the bag. Like a scavenger hunt, they check things off the list, only to look up again and search for the next item. Meanwhile, another PE works with Dow employees to assemble a beautiful, colorful bicycle. “I only did one bike, but it felt kind of intense. It was like a race because everyone was working on the bikes all at once. It was fun!” Deana, one of the AFG PEs who attended the event, remembers.

The event, held on July 15 by The Dow Chemical Company, was called Power to Influence and is a training opportunity for its technicians. “The event provides the technicians an opportunity to receive specialized training that will aid in their own development and set the stage to develop others by leveraging their learnings from the program,” Sarah McManus, Operations Learning and Talent Development Administrator at The Dow Chemical Company, explains. Because The Dow Chemical Company strongly believes in giving back to the community, the event also incorporates a volunteer activity.

For this Power to Influence event, the volunteer activity was assembling donations for Alternatives For Girls. In addition, Dow also invited girls from AFG to attend the event to learn about what they do, help during the volunteer activity, and even stay overnight at the hotel! The Peer Educators who attended were chauffeured to Midland by a private taxi service (courtesy of Dow!) and had a welcome basket when they arrived to their hotel room! “It made me feel really special!” Da’shea, another AFG PE who attended, shared.

During the event, the group put together 10 bicycles, 100 backpacks filled with school supplies, 90 hygiene kits, and 4 picnic tables, in less than an hour! “It was great to see all of the hard work come together. Everyone moved really quickly and wanted to help!” Sarah shared. “The whole experience was fun! It felt like they were really trying to help us out,” Da’shea shared.

The Dow Chemical Company reached out to other companies in the area to support Alternatives For Girls, as well. “Ray’s Bike Shop of Midland gave me a wonderful discount on the Electra bicycles that were assembled. They also sent a store representative to the event to help with the process and answer any questions,” Sarah explained. In addition, Corrigan Moving Systems, a moving company also located in the Midland area, transported all of the items from Midland to Detroit for free!

For Sarah, the highlight of the day was sharing the experience with the PEs. “It was a pleasure to meet the AFG girls. Everyone was glad that the AFG group could join us,” Sarah shared. The PEs who attended had a blast during the event, and after. “My favorite part of the trip was meeting new people and hearing their stories. I learned about someone who was from Texas that was homeless when she was 13,” Danea shared. The girls also enjoyed swimming in the hotel pool afterwards and receiving their own backpack filled with goodies before they drove back to AFG. “It was definitely a great experience. I’m very grateful that I got to experience it,” Danea reflects, smiling from ear to ear.

AFG would like to thank Sarah McManus, The Dow Chemical Company and all of its employees, Ray’s Bike Shop, and Corrigan Moving Systems for their generous support of the girls and women we serve!

“Pedal For A Purpose” Raises Funds and Awareness for Youth Experiencing Homelessness

Jun. 30 2015 | Tags: , , ,

All across the nation, the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) is leading a project to facilitate inter-agency collaboration and services supporting homeless youth. In 2014, NAEHYC conducted a needs assessment of youth experiencing homelessness right here in Detroit. The assessment surveyed youth between the ages of 16 and 24 and found that the top three barriers they were facing were access to transportation, clothing, and jobs. In response to the survey and its results, NAEHYC organized a task force to address issues faced by homeless youth, known as the Detroit Task Force on Youth Homelessness.

The Task Force has members from a wide range of programs and services for youth, including schools, youth agencies, homeless coalitions, law enforcement, public policy makers, and many others, who are led by youth from the community. “The Task Force’s main goals are to bridge the gap between the three main barriers youth face and to spread awareness within the community. We try to bring everyone together at the table to provide resources, initiatives, and local policy at a grassroots level to respond the needs of the youth,” Courtney Smith, Detroit Youth Task Force Coordinator and AFG Youth Board Member, explained.

On June 13, the Task Force held “Pedal For A Purpose” to raise funds and awareness around the top barrier faced by youth experiencing homelessness: transportation. The day started with 15 Eastern Michigan University students, alumni, and Ypsilanti locals biking from Ypsilanti to Detroit. After the 40-mile bike ride, the bikers concluded their journey at a community event held here at Alternatives For Girls! Approximately 60 people attended the community-wide awareness event, which include a youth panel discussion facilitated by Councilwoman Raquel Castaneda-Lopez, a speech about youth homelessness in the community from Judge Perkins, and a screening of the film “The Homestretch”.

“A big highlight from the event was the youth panel. What better way to speak about the needs of youth than with the youth themselves? They are the experts in their own lives. Watching the young people come together and have the courage to share their lives with strangers, it was really touching,” Courtney shared. Following the panel, Judge Perkins spoke the importance of supporting young people within the community, through mentorship, and also stressed the importance of not let youth in need fall by the wayside. Finally, the documentary “The Homestretch”, which follows three homeless teens as they fight to stay in school, graduate, and build a future, was screened. “One young woman shared that the film opened her eyes to things she didn’t even know existed,” Courtney shared.

So far, the event has raised over $1,000 to support access to transportation for homeless youth. “The money raised will go towards providing bikes and transportation options to homeless youth. Because of the conversations we had with services providers and the popularity of bikes in Detroit, we decided to focus on donating bikes, but it really depends on what the service providers needs are,” Courtney explained.

“It was so great to see youth and older people come together for a common cause. There was a lot going on June 13 and for people to come together to raise awareness, it was great and very heartwarming to see that,” Courtney shared. “And we are very thankful that AFG was able to help and host the event. Being an AFG youth board member, it was an honor to be able to help in this way.”

Be sure to follow the Task Force and like them on Facebook to stay up-to-date on their events. If you would like more information or have any questions, contact Patricia Julianelle, NAEHCY’s Director of State Projects and Legal Affairs, at pjulianelle@naehcy.org or Courtney Smith, Detroit Youth Task Force Coordinator, at csmith@naehcy.org.

Face Forward Resource Fair Provides Access to Valuable Services for Youth

Apr. 30 2015 | Tags: , , , ,

One of AFG’s newest programs, Face Forward, held its first resource fair for youth on March 30 at the Patton Recreation center. The fair, aptly named “March Madness”, was put together to provide youth with opportunities to make direct contact with hiring employers, provide access to additional community and educational resource, and also served as an enrollment effort for the Face Forward program. To participate in the event, each youth had to meet the same in criteria as they do for the Face Forward program (be 16-24, currently reside in Wayne County, have past or current involvement in the juvenile justice system, have no adult criminal offenses, and have no sexual offenses other than prostitution).

 

“March Madness” was packed full of activities for the youth who attended. Those in attendance had the opportunity to apply for jobs on site from venders such as Public Allies Metro Detroit, Youth United, Detroit Fire Department, Auto Zone, Tim Hortons, and more. Educational vendors, Covenant House Academy, St. Vincent & Sarah Fisher Center, Job Corps, and Back on Track Alternative Education provided educational resources and information, while community organizations such as Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Metropolitan Detroit, Michigan State Health, and AFG provided program information for eligible youth. Additional resources included private HIV testing by the Horizons Project and mini workshops facilitated by AFG Peer Educators.
The youth also had the opportunity to enjoy food, music, and fun during “March Madness”. Youth participated in a basketball shoot-out tournament, a NBA 2K video game tournament, and “Minute To Win It” games, and also had the chance to enter to win a mountain bike, gift cards, t-shirts, and more. The young woman who won the bike shared that she previously used the bus for transportation and was elated that she could now use her bike to get where she needed to go.

 

Overall, “March Madness” successfully recruited youth for the Face Forward program and made it possible to provide access to worthwhile services to those who attended. AFG would like to thank the Detroit Recreation Department for sponsoring the location for this event and all of the vendors who provided resources and information for the youth!

For more information on the next Face Forward event or to enroll in the Face Forward program, contact Tyresha Robinson, Case Planning Services Manager of Face Forward, at 313-361-4000 ext. 240 or trobinson@alternativesforgirls.org.

2015 Role Model Dinner Raises Critical Funds

Apr. 30 2015 | Tags: , ,

On March 26, Alternatives For Girls held our 26th annual Role Model Dinner at The Fillmore Detroit. The event raised over $256,000 to support our critical work!
The evening was full of fun and inspiration. After an hour of mingling and a silent auction, the program kicked off with a live auction. Cheryl Chodun, former Channel 7 news reporter, emceed the event. The dinner, co-chaired this year by Myra Moreland and Carole Ilitch, 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, Making Key Choices. The evening closed with the thrilling “Fund the Mission,” led by auctioneer Chris Aslanian, during which event guests pledged monetary support to AFG.
In between was a time of reflection and inspiration as the young women of AFG and the 2015 Role Models shared their stories. Many shared pieces of wisdom, like this statement from former AFG shelter resident and Emerging Leader Role Model Awardee Krista McClure, “We can all look back to where we came from, but to me it’s more important to look forward to where we are going.”

We would like to thank our dinner co-chairs, Myra Moreland and Carole Ilitch, who helped make the event such an incredible success! We would also like to thank Cheryl Chodun, 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; Tiana, April, Fatima, Janiqua, Tamara, and Tatianna, who shared their stories and showed us the courage and determination it takes to make key choices.
AFG also gratefully thanks this year’s Role Model Dinner sponsors: AVL, General Motors, PVS Chemicals, Suburban Collection, Angstrom Automotive, Health Alliance Plan/Henry Ford Health System, Lear Corporation, Piston Group, Argent International, Comerica Bank, Corporate F.A.C.T.S., Dakkota Integrated Systems, Detroit Tigers, Larry and Connie Hudas, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, Towers Watson, Trinity Health, UAW-Ford National Programs Center, John and Ann Cameron, George Johnson & Company, Huntington Bank, Michigan First Credit Union, Northwood University, Hour Detroit, and Union AdWorks for donating design services. We would also like to thank both the General Motors Foundation and the Ford Fund for their generous support of the girls and women we serve.
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!

AFG Volunteer Department Says “Thank You!”

Dec. 1 2014 | Tags: , ,

On November 10th, the AFG Volunteer Department held a volunteer appreciation dinner and invited all current and past volunteers to attend. “We held the Volunteer Appreciation dinner because AFG wanted to recognize volunteers for their service. Doing this appreciation dinner was our way of saying thank you for their investment of time,” explained Melody Moore, Volunteer Services Manager. At the event, AFG CEO, Amy Good, greeted and thanked the volunteers for their service and after getting to know each other through some fun activities, they ate dinner together.

“I just had my first outing with my new mentee since we were matched together! We went to Socra Tea in Detroit and made collages to talk about our interests and hobbies,” Michelle, a new mentor, shared excitedly during the event. Michelle is one of many volunteers who dedicate their time and talents to Alternatives For Girls every day. AFG started as a volunteer-run emergency shelter in 1987 and, over the years, has continued to partner with dedicated and caring volunteers to serve homeless and at-risk girls and women.

Our volunteers make AFG’s work possible by occupying a number of roles within the agency; from helping girls with homework in the After School Program to teaching yoga to helping with fundraising events; AFG volunteers do it all. “Volunteers are extremely important to AFG, they serve alongside us to fulfill our mission. They also help us in serving the girls and young women by helping us find resources that we might not have had otherwise,” Melody shared.

After dinner, Melody presented volunteers with a certificate of appreciation to acknowledge them for their service. Each volunteer accepted their certificate with a smile on their face and cheered along as their fellow volunteers received their certificate. Melody ended the event by announcing the new Volunteer Corps that will begin in January 2015. “The purpose of the Volunteer Corps is to give all of the volunteers a way to interact, to learn each others skills, and to learn about other volunteer opportunities around the agency. It will also allow volunteers to assist with identifying projects and helping to do the projects that need to be completed around AFG,” Melody explained.

If you are interested in learning about our current volunteer needs or becoming a volunteer at AFG, contact Melody Moore, Volunteer Services Manager, at 313-361-4000 x280 or mmoore@alternativesforgirls.org.

Role Model Dinner 2014

Jan. 21 2014 | Tags: ,

Join Alternatives For Girls as we celebrate our 25th annual Role Model Dinner on Wednesday, March 19th, 2014 at The Fillmore Detroit. The dinner will honor our 2014 Role Models, Amyre Makupson and Andra Rush; and honor a special keynote speaker, Grace Lieblein.

Tickets are $150 each and will go on sale at the end of January.

Sponsorship opportunities are available at many levels and help support AFG’s critical programs. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Anna Weaver at (313)361-4000 ext. 230 or aweaver@alternativesforgirls.org.

Positive Choices, Powerful Lives: Dream Warriors

Nov. 26 2013 | Tags: ,

On October 29th, Alternatives For Girls held its annual Positive Choices, Powerful Lives event at the Detroit Historical Museum. The event raised more than $26,000 for AFG, and had over 100 attendees. The guests heard inspirational stories from three young women, one from each of AFG’s programs.  After the program, they were welcomed to explore the museum.

“Not only has AFG taught me to appreciate myself, but it has also trained me to teach others to accept themselves. I’ve realized that everyone—male or female—has a purpose and you determine your destiny,” shared Angelique, AFG Peer Educator.

AFG would like to thank the table hosts for inviting their friends and families to the event; Tim Smith for being our amazing emcee; Pam Rodgers for making a moving case to support AFG; Rosa, Angelique, and Aliana for sharing their inspiring stories; and finally all of our event attendees for spending the evening with us.