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    Wilson Park Officially Opens to the Delight of Thousands!

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Urban Neighborhood Initiative Celebrates 25th Anniversary and Heroes of the Neighborhood

EL CENTRAL by EL CENTRAL
June 23, 2023
in Community, Español, Events, Featured
Reading Time: 12 mins read
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  • Juanita Zuniga
  • Alejandro Ugalde/ Kopalli Media
  • June 22, 2023
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On Friday, June 16, Urban Neighborhood Initiatives (UNI) celebrated its 25th anniversary as an organization and honored eight community members for their dedication to the community at their Annual Heroes of the Neighborhood event.

Urban Neighborhood Initiatives, which was founded in 1997, has always worked toward the needs and growth of the community since its establishment. Its first and original location was transformed from All Saints neighborhood church to what we now know as the UNI building on Longworth nestled in the neighborhood between Springwells and Lawndale Aves. Since then, UNI has doubled in size and now has a youth hub known as Leaders of Southwest Headquarters (Los HQ).

At UNI, the mission is to make the community a better place for all residents by offering opportunities to the youth and families of Southwest Detroit. UNI’s three areas of focus are Youth Development, Education, Land Use and Economic Development.

However, in an effort to make sure the community that they serve is heard in this development and growth, UNI takes a more intimate approach.

“An approach that we take is that we work alongside our residents to hear what they want to see in the community. Oftentimes other organizations or other businesses think they know what’s best for the community without taking them into consideration and residents know that’s not really what we want to see. We [UNI] take the initiative of working hands-on with [residents] to make sure that their needs are being met and that we’re able to support them,” said Mariela Brook Trejo, Communications and Volunteer Coordinator.

Through that method, and within its 25 years of operations, UNI has made a significant impact on the Southwest community, especially with all of the youth programming and activities they host such as Engaged Leaders Initiating Tomorrow’s Education (ELITE), Southwest Urban Arts Mural Project (SUAMP), Youth Advisory Board (YAB), Southwest Rides, and that is just to name a few.

“A large percentage of our community is under the age of 18. Meaning a very young community. That’s why we take the approach to work with the youth very hands-on, targeting them and being able to help them grow and thrive. Especially, where oftentimes resources aren’t available in schools or things of that sort. We make sure that resources are readily available to support them,” said Trejo

In these programs, students can participate in community organizing, art, photography, mechanics, and much more, which exposes the youth to an array of career opportunities for their future.

“It’s exciting… being able to provide youth with opportunities outside of the classroom to be able to find their passion and be able to continue strengthening their skill sets and get a little bit of sense of what they wanna’ do when they grow up,” said Alejandra Gomez, Education Initiatives Director

Though there is a focus on uplifting and supporting the youth, during the pandemic UNI collaborated with Gleaners Food Bank to provide food for Southwest Detroit residents and even hosted some of the very first vaccine initiatives in the Springwells area, vaccinating about 114 residents with their first vaccine drive.

Moreover, the Heroes of the Neighborhood event is intended to honor and uplift individuals, organizations, and businesses who are positively impacting Southwest Detroit. This year eight honorees were chosen and recognized for their contribution to making a difference.

“The concept of being able to honor and really uplift people in the community, especially those that might not be super connected to UNI, because we understand a lot of wonderful things happening in the community. There are a lot of assets in the community and being able to uplift them is such a powerful thing for us,” said Gomez.

The Heroes of the Neighborhood event took place across the street from their main office at the Springdale Green Playlot. The event welcomed many members of the community, local vendors, and Folklorico dancers for this momentous occasion.

To learn more about what UNI has planned for this summer be sure to follow their Instagram @unidetroit.

 


Juanita Zuniga is a graduate of Kalamazoo College with a degree in Anthropology/Sociology and English. She was born and raised in SW Detroit and still resides here today. She is very passionate about her community and hopes to serve her community through writing. Juanita is a Latin history and music enthusiast in her spare time. She is also a Cancer sun, Libra moon, and Cancer Rising.

La Iniciativa de Vecindarios Urbanos Celebró su 25 Aniversario y a los Héroes del lugar

El viernes 16 de junio, La Iniciativa de Vecindarios Urbanos (UNI) celebró su 25 aniversario como organización y honró a ocho miembros de la comunidad por su dedicación, en su evento anual Héroes del Barrio.

La Iniciativa de Vecindarios Urbano se fundó en 1997 y siempre ha trabajado para satisfacer las necesidades y el crecimiento de la comunidad. Su primera ubicación se transformó de la iglesia de Todos Los Santos, a lo que ahora conocemos como el edificio UNI en Longworth, ubicado en la colonia entre la Avenida Springwells y Lawndale. Desde entonces, UNI ha duplicado su tamaño y ahora tiene un centro juvenil conocido como Líderes de la Sede Suroeste (Los HQ).

En UNI, la misión es hacer de la comunidad un lugar mejor para la comunidad, ofreciendo oportunidades a los jóvenes y las familias del suroeste de Detroit. Las tres áreas de enfoque de UNI son Desarrollo de la Juventud, Educación, Uso de la Tierra y Desarrollo Económico.

Sin embargo, en un esfuerzo por asegurarse de que la comunidad a la que sirven sea escuchada en este desarrollo y crecimiento, UNI adopta un enfoque más íntimo.

“Uno de los enfoques que adoptamos es el de trabajar junto a nuestros residentes para escuchar lo que quieren ver en la comunidad. A menudo, otras organizaciones u otros negocios piensan que saben lo mejor, pero sin tenerlos en cuenta y los residentes saben que eso no es realmente lo que se quiere ver. Nosotros [UNI] tomamos la iniciativa de trabajar directamente con los residentes para asegurarnos de que se satisfagan sus necesidades y que podamos apoyarlos”, dijo Mariela Brook Trejo, Coordinadora de Comunicaciones y Voluntariado.

A través de ese método, y en sus 25 años de operaciones, UNI ha tenido un impacto significativo en la comunidad del Suroeste, especialmente con todos los programas y actividades juveniles que organiza, como Líderes Comprometidos que Inician la Educación del Mañana (ELITE), Proyecto Mural de Artes Urbanas del Suroeste (SUAMP), Consejo Consultivo de Jóvenes (YAB), Southwest Rides, entre otros.

“Un gran porcentaje de nuestra población es menor de 18 años. Es decir, tenemos una comunidad muy joven. Es por eso que adoptamos un enfoque muy práctico para trabajar con los jóvenes, centrándonos en ellos y siendo capaces de ayudarlos a crecer y salir adelante. Especialmente, donde muchas veces los recursos no están disponibles en las escuelas, nos aseguramos de que el capital esté disponible”, dijo Trejo.

En estos programas, los estudiantes pueden participar en la organización comunitaria, el arte, la fotografía, la mecánica y mucho más, lo que expone a los jóvenes a una variedad de oportunidades profesionales para su futuro.

“Es emocionante… poder brindarles a los chicos, oportunidades fuera del aula para que puedan encontrar su pasión y continúen fortaleciendo sus habilidades y tengan una idea de lo que quieren hacer cuando crezcan.”, dijo Alejandra Gómez, Directora de Iniciativas Educativas

Aunque hay un enfoque en animar y apoyar a los jóvenes, durante la pandemia, UNI colaboró con Gleaners Food Bank para proporcionar alimentos a los residentes del suroeste de Detroit e incluso organizó algunas de las primeras iniciativas de vacunación en el área de Springwells, brindándoles la primera vacuna a unos 114 residentes.

Además, el evento Héroes del Barrio, tiene como objetivo honrar y animar a las personas, organizaciones y empresas que tienen un impacto positivo en el suroeste de Detroit; este año, ocho homenajeados fueron elegidos y reconocidos por su contribución.

“El concepto de poder honrar y animar a las personas de la comunidad, especialmente a aquellas que podrían no estar muy conectadas con UNI, ya que muchas cosas maravillosas suceden en la comunidad. Hay muchos recursos en la comunidad y poder mejorarlos es algo muy poderoso para nosotros”, dijo Gómez.

El evento Héroes del Barrio, se llevó a cabo al otro lado de la calle de su oficina principal, en Springdale Green Playlot. El evento dio la bienvenida a muchos miembros de la comunidad, vendedores locales y bailarines folclóricos.

Para obtener más información sobre lo que UNI ha planeado para este verano, asegúrese de seguir su Instagram @unidetroit.


Juanita Zuniga se graduó de La Universidad de Kalamazoo, con una licenciatura en Antropología/Sociología e inglés. Nació y se crio en el suroeste de Detroit, donde reside. Le apasiona mucho su comunidad y espera servirla a través de sus escritos. Es una entusiasta de la historia y la música latina en su tiempo libre. Ella también tiene el sol en el signo Cáncer, luna en Libra y Cáncer como signo ascendente.

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