Heroes of the Neighborhood 2023
Urban Neighborhood Initiatives hosted our annual fundraiser event, Heroes of the Neighborhood on Friday, June 16th! Heroes of the Neighborhood is our annual event where we honor and uplift individuals and organizations who are positively impacting the neighborhood of Springwells and Southwest Detroit. This year we are also celebrating our 25th anniversary as an organization! That's 25 years of working with our community towards our mission of creating safe and thriving neighborhoods where people want to live, work and play!
We want to start off by thanking everyone who joined us at our Heroes of the Neighborhood event on Friday, June 16th. We are overwhelmed with joy and gratitude by the response that our event had. It was amazing to see so many people at our event supporting the work we do and honoring the heroes of our community. We had so much fun and hope that you all did as well. Thank you to those who attended, who sponsored, who donated, and supported our event, this one was for the books.
We also want to thank our amazing staff who put in hours of hard work to pull this event off. We truly appreciate every single one of you for the work that you do inside our community and UNI.
We also want to thank our amazing staff who put in hours of hard work to pull this event off. We truly appreciate every single one of you for the work that you do inside our community and UNI.
Thank you for joining us!
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS & CHAMPIONS!
2023 Heroes of the Neighborhood Awardees:
Youth Hero: Alexa Arriaga
Alexa has been a part of the Southwest Urban Arts Mural Project since 2019. She became our youngest lead artist at the age of 14 (most of our lead artists are 16+)! She has both artistic talents and amazing leadership skills! She has designed many of the murals SUAMP has painted, is still a lead artist, and continuously helps me plan and facilitate workshops, and has also been recently accepted into the College for Creative Studies, a really competitive art school in Detroit. Resident Hero : Officer Kellogg
Officer Kellogg is a resident of Springwells and she is the Neighborhood Police Officer for the Springwells neighborhood. She is a wonderful foster mother, continuously volunteers at various neighborhood cleanups, and actively helps keep the neighborhood safe. With all of the things she encounters in her NPO role, she always shows up with kindness and grace. Upon moving into the neighborhood, she wanted to plant herself in the community by joining the Whip It Coalition and building strong relationships with residents. Business Hero : Tacos El Caballo
A family of heroes, Jose Badajoz, owner of Tacos El Caballo, has been a long-time supporter of Urban Neighborhood Initiatives and our Southwest Detroit Community. Throughout the years, Jose and his family have supported community events, organizations, and even his "competitors". Earlier this year, another local food truck suffered a devastating fire that left them without a truck to continue their business. Jose and his family did not hesitate to step up and support them in the best way they knew, they let their competitor borrow one of their Tacos El Caballo food truck to continue selling and to help them cover the costs of a new truck and medical bills. Visit them next time you're in Southwest Detroit at 1445 Springwells St. Detroit, 48209. Champion Award : Mike Clement
Mike Clement has been a relentless champion for UNI and has helped many of our alumni in their post-secondary journey. Because of his support, UNI has started the Mike Clement Scholarship Fund to honor him and show our gratitude for his support Because of this support, UNI awards scholarships to help our alumni be successful while pursuing their post-secondary education. Scholarships are awarded to former and current program participants who are currently enrolled in 2-year and 4-year colleges, as well as those who are pursuing trade school certificates. These funds are integral to their success. These scholarships help fill financial needs and gaps to be able to complete their post-secondary education and reach their long-term career goals. Many of our alumni are first-generation college students who are paving the way for their families. |
Community Hero: Amanda Holiday
Amanda has been a long-time community leader, who continuously looks out for the residents and families of Southwest Detroit. Amanda is a part of Congress of Communities, another non-profit community organization in Southwest Detroit. She is an amazing parent leader who advocates for parents and families while also uplifting them within the community. She works with and oversees over 250+ families on any given day -- always with a smile on her face. She actively works with community partners to collaborate with CoC to ensure families and residents are being informed all while having fun. Elder Hero : Stephanie Mason
Stephanie has lived and worked in Springwells for over 30 years. Not only has she worked professionally in the neighborhood through roles at Beard Elementary and local medical clinics, but she has also been active in many other roles including at UNI. She has been active at UNI since the day they had the meeting to form the neighborhood center that is now UNI. She also recently retired from UNI’s Board of Directors. She regularly donates money for small neighborhood events, especially the kid-centered ones, like Easter Egg hunts, holiday parties, and summer events. She also collects clothes and home items to donate directly to people or to organizations that directly assist the people in our neighborhood! Parent Hero : Aracely Davila
Aracely and her family have been a part of Urban Neighborhood Initiatives programming for the last 2 1/2 years. What began as a quest to learn more about extracurricular activities for her children quickly evolved to becoming an advocate for other first-generation families like her own. Aracely has continuously showed up to learn about educational resources and to ensure her children and those close to her are aware of what is available to them. She isn't afraid to ask questions, ask for support, or to voice her concerns. Legacy Award : Phyllis Edwards
Phyllis Edward was recognized by Dennis Nordmoe and UNI for her continuous work in the community. Did you know that Phyllis has actually retired TWICE? Phyllis J. Edwards is the former executive director for Bridging Communities and current Project Development Consultant, a non-profit in Southwest Detroit whose primary focus is eldercare and community development. |