https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org 2022 Global Detroit Impact Report Tue, 11 Apr 2023 23:07:25 +0000 https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org en https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org/Landing-Page Fri, 31 Mar 2023 18:41:12 +0000 2022 Global Detroit Impact Report https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org/Landing-Page Growing Inclusion︎︎︎&nbsp;2022 Global Detroit Impact Report https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org/Landing-Page-Nav Sun, 09 Apr 2023 01:39:50 +0000 2022 Global Detroit Impact Report https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org/Landing-Page-Nav ︎︎︎&nbsp;Notes from our Leadership︎︎︎ Our Team︎︎︎ Fundraising Report https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org/Stories-Nav-Title Sat, 08 Apr 2023 20:12:32 +0000 2022 Global Detroit Impact Report https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org/Stories-Nav-Title ︎︎︎Stories of Our Work https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org/From-our-Executive-Director Sat, 08 Apr 2023 20:06:28 +0000 2022 Global Detroit Impact Report https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org/From-our-Executive-Director Steve Tobocman, Executive Director <img width="1080" height="1080" width_o="1080" height_o="1080" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b5be6607c1778ce009bcb8d046af4676de19768c27aebb7e749d087ce2a983eb/Steve.png" data-mid="174841534" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b5be6607c1778ce009bcb8d046af4676de19768c27aebb7e749d087ce2a983eb/Steve.png" /> 2022 was a year of incredible evolution for Global Detroit. We said farewell to some of our closest and most important team members. In August, Chief Operating Officer Sloan Herrick left Global Detroit to sail the Caribbean with her family. For more than a decade, Sloan served as my partner, and she was the glue that held our team together through numerous transitions and developments. Sloan left an indelible mark on the organization, through her brilliant operational and organizational contributions, and by cementing an incredible culture of collaboration and support within our organization. At the end of the 2022, after a full decade of leadership, Karen Phillippi resigned as the chair of our board. Karen's time with Global Detroit even predates Sloan's, as she served on the original advisory board for the Global Detroit study. Karen gave selflessly for 14 years, spending hours every week signing checks, strategizing with Sloan and me, and providing a steady vision to a dynamic organization. While Karen started this journey as a volunteer from the private sector, working on immigration with the Miller Canfield law firm, she was the second hire at Michigan's Office for New Americans (now the Office of Global Michigan) and even led that office during the final years of the Snyder administration. Karen is well known nationally as one of the core leaders in immigrant economic inclusion and brought subject matter expertise to so many areas of our work. But more importantly, Karen offered moral encouragement and served as a thought partner to me and the team for more than a decade., Global Detroit's success is the direct result of the contributions that Sloan and Karen made. At the same time, 2022 represented the dawning of a new chapter in the Global Detroit story. We welcomed Dr. Alaina Jackson as our first managing director. Alaina comes to us with decades of research expertise, corporate expertise, nonprofit leadership and personal experience as an immigrant herself in nearly a dozen countries. She will oversee our Southeast Michigan programs—the core of our organization—in addition to our operations. I met Alaina five years ago and, ever since, she and I have been trying to figure out a way for her to join the team. We finally found the perfect role. In just a few short months, she has made known her brilliance, her larger-than-life humor and her warmth. For more than a decade, I have loved helping to lead Global Detroit through a consensus decision-making model, and I am confident that Global Detroit will continue to thrive, and will excel, under Alaina's leadership. Global Detroit is also fortunate to welcome Jim Becker as our board chair. Jim is a leader in the commercial real estate field and in business. During his time running the Avison Young office in Toronto, Canada, Jim witnessed the transformative impact that immigrants can make on the vibrancy of a city and its neighborhoods. On his return to Detroit, Jim reached out to me when he heard about Global Detroit and its mission, vision and work. Originally, he volunteered to help us raise contributions, but for the last five years, he has been a strong voice on our board of directors, recently serving as our board treasurer. Jim has made numerous introductions to Global Detroit over the years, and he is a voice of deep compassion and vision. 2022 marked the culmination of years of policy advocacy work around making Michigan the premier state in global talent attraction and retention. In 2019, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced her 60x30 vision to upskill Michigan's workforce with a goal of 60% of our state's workforce possessing a post-secondary degree or professional credential by 2030. In response, Global Detroit spearheaded an effort to work with the Governor's team, private industry and national experts to craft the first comprehensive immigrant-inclusion strategy for a state workforce upskilling program. The plan remained unfunded until, under Global Detroit's leadership, a statewide business coalition was formed and the first $5 million of a five-year, $25 million budget was appropriated by the Michigan Legislature. This appropriation will enable Global Detroit to expand the Global Talent Retention Initiative (GTRI), our international student retention program, across the state, as well as expand our Global Entrepreneurs in Residence program (Global EIR) to help startup founders. In 2022, Global Detroit debuted original research documenting the importance of each of these programs. Our international student retention report, using over 1.5 million international student records obtained by the Pew Research Center, documented the fact that over 43,000 international students entered the Michigan workforce over a 13-year period, providing a significant amount of STEM talent to the economy. Our Global EIR program was reviewed by an outside evaluator who found that in our first 2 ½ years we had supported seven startup founders from six companies who raised $15.6 million in venture capital and created 49 jobs. We are excited about the opportunity to expand these talent programs across Michigan. But it’s not just high-skilled STEM graduates and tech startup founders that make immigration so important to Southeast Michigan’s future. Global Detroit is focused on building an inclusive regional economy that welcomes refugees, humanitarian arrivals and immigrants of all backgrounds, education levels, and skill sets. We accomplish this through programs like Common Bond, which transforms the lives of immigrant and refugee women who face their own unique set of integration barriers, and through DTE’s Energy Efficiency Assistance program, under which Global Detroit provided over 200 low-income families with more than $2 million in free energy efficiency upgrades in 2022. Our work as a trusted connector to immigrant small businesses reached over 250 small and micro-businesses in 2022 and led to over $800,000 in small business loan applications. Finally, the organization is blazing new ground in building connections between immigrants and their long-term African American neighbors through our nationally-funded social cohesion demonstration project. Global Detroit is building an inclusive regional economy. We have been able to influence state and local policy in critical ways so that our region is aware of our growing immigrant communities and inclusive of their contributions, needs and aspirations. Whether it is positioning the State to invest in the inclusion of immigrant talent, building inclusive housing policies or ensuring that anti-poverty programs address barriers faced by immigrant families, our advocacy work is having tangible impact. We are leading the Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative to enhance the long-term integration of refugee and humanitarian arrivals in Southeast Michigan. These efforts demonstrate the critical importance of our partners. In fact, without our many partners, Global Detroit would get very little done. And that’s by design. An inclusive region doesn’t exist by the work of a single nonprofit, but is created when state and local government, private corporations, nonprofit agencies and local residents work together. This means adopting inclusive practices, policies and programs, and being intentional about building inclusion into the everyday work and culture Our community is at the core of Global Detroit’s work. If you’re reading this annual report, I am confident you are a part of that journey. On behalf of the Global Detroit board, staff and the communities we serve, I would like to thank you. <img width="1920" height="607" width_o="1920" height_o="607" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/850aeffa0d345cecd489749e5d5a122848e979aab5ec6a8db2364e4a6fb92bc1/Signatures-01.png" data-mid="174978042" border="0" data-scale="85" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/850aeffa0d345cecd489749e5d5a122848e979aab5ec6a8db2364e4a6fb92bc1/Signatures-01.png" /> https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org/From-our-Managing-Director Sun, 09 Apr 2023 21:26:02 +0000 2022 Global Detroit Impact Report https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org/From-our-Managing-Director Dr. Alaina Jackson, Managing Director <img width="1080" height="1080" width_o="1080" height_o="1080" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b6d65e769698edefd00cc8611e7a1d4b7e40cc8886dd3f657a49b1418e5701a5/Alaina1.png" data-mid="174841560" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b6d65e769698edefd00cc8611e7a1d4b7e40cc8886dd3f657a49b1418e5701a5/Alaina1.png" /> I left Detroit 20 years ago, in 1997, during which time I pursued my education (Northwestern University and University of Southern California) and worked and lived abroad (Germany, France, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica, etc.). My work, studies, research, and travel exposed me to inclusive housing policy and financing in Mexico, inclusive healthcare policies and programs in Germany, and inclusive business start-up financing and cooperative business models in Spain and Costa Rica. While living abroad, I learned about, and lived, the possibilities of inclusively designed and deployed systems and institutions. What these experiences affirmed for me, and what I believe in my heart and know to be true, is that inclusion is the superior strategy every time. In every system and institution, and at every scale, inclusion will not fail us. I returned to Detroit in 2017, seeking a new professional home where those experiences and lessons could be put to their best and highest uses. And, in Global Detroit, I’ve found that home as their first managing director. At Global Detroit, we believe that immigrant inclusion as an economic development strategy, where the regional economy welcomes refugees, humanitarian arrivals and immigrants of all backgrounds, education levels, and skill sets, will strengthen the regional economy and the economic outcomes for all residents. 2022 saw Global Detroit advance its efforts at multiple scales- individual (Common Bond work with immigrant and refugee women), household (DTE Energy Efficiency Assistance Program for low-income households), neighborhood (Social Cohesion demonstration project with long-term African American residents and their immigrant neighbors, and Trusted Connector work with small and micro businesses), institutional (Global Entrepreneur in Residence program, housed at several universities), regional (Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative), and systemic through research, advocacy, and policy work. I’m proud of our team’s accomplishments and the positive impact we’ve had on our community. Our goals for 2023 stand on the accomplishments and lessons learned from 2022, and I’m excited to see where they take us. While Steve, as the executive director, will oversee the growth of our statewide footprint through the first comprehensive immigrant-inclusion strategy for a state workforce upskilling program, and the creation of the Center for Immigrant Inclusive Economic Development, as the new managing director, I will oversee our core programs and operations in Southeast Michigan. Thank you to the Global Detroit team and board of directors (past and present), funders, residents, and ecosystem partners that have welcomed me with open arms. I’m inspired and encouraged by the work you’ve invested in, the outcomes you’ve achieved, and the rich legacy you’ve established. I look forward to learning with you and from you, and to collaborating and co-creating with you. 2023 is going to be amazing. Let’s go! <img width="1898" height="630" width_o="1898" height_o="630" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/577d78cd2ba3c0e22724f7f2acd690fb7958a3e706fb79a51edea6395fa5826b/Signatures-02.png" data-mid="174978129" border="0" data-scale="86" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/577d78cd2ba3c0e22724f7f2acd690fb7958a3e706fb79a51edea6395fa5826b/Signatures-02.png" /> https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org/From-our-Board-Chair Sun, 09 Apr 2023 21:26:41 +0000 2022 Global Detroit Impact Report https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org/From-our-Board-Chair Jim Becker, Board Chair <img width="1080" height="1080" width_o="1080" height_o="1080" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ed1dfe79775d9c0435358770aea199a1e2d7515ed8538254c50d4b73945c98a2/Jim.png" data-mid="174841875" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ed1dfe79775d9c0435358770aea199a1e2d7515ed8538254c50d4b73945c98a2/Jim.png" /> Great cities are vibrant places where diverse people congregate, create, collaborate, invest, recreate and gather. As a committed Detroiter, fifteen years ago, I had the opportunity to lead Avison Young’s Toronto office and experienced firsthand a true, world-class city. The energy, richness and vibrancy of Toronto have elevated the city and its quality of life, not just for the downtown area, but into its neighborhoods and surrounding suburbs. And at the core of all Toronto’s modern glory has been the tremendous growth of its immigrant population who have brought the beauty, ingenuity, work ethic and compassion of their native culture and fused it with distinctly local values and customs. When I returned to Detroit in 2012, I felt that I was entering a city on the rise from a half century of disinvestment and a city in which there was promise that the racial disparities of the past were no longer being ignored. Amidst all the dynamic growth was Global Detroit, a relatively young nonprofit initiative with roots at the Detroit Regional Chamber, as well as deep connections in Detroit’s neighborhoods. Global Detroit was advocating that immigration could be a powerful ingredient shaping Detroit’s future. The organization not only recognized the tremendously valuable contributions that immigrants make to the city and regional economy, but it was designing and implementing programs to proactively welcome, integrate and invest in immigrant communities as part of the region’s economic and community development strategies. I continue to learn and be inspired by the work of Global Detroit and the amazing staff we have, as well as all the important work that partners like the City of Detroit Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, State of Michigan Office of Global Michigan, the William Davidson Foundation and the New Economy Initiative and refugee resettlement agencies are doing. One of my guides in this journey has been Karen Phillippi, who served as board chair to Global Detroit since its inception. Karen’s expertise in this growing field of immigrant inclusive economic development is evident and she is viewed across the nation as a leader in this work. But I have observed how she guided our board and connected with our staff and partners and know that she indeed has left big shoes to fill. As I step into the role of board chair I am grateful to have a talented slate of fellow board members to rely on. Moreover, with Dr. Alaina Jackson as our first managing director, Global Detroit is poised for greatness. It can be cliché to say Detroit’s best days are ahead. But when you consider the dialogue leaders are having about the Black middle class, systemic racism and forging an economic future that is welcoming and inclusive of all, I think there is great cause for optimism. We all know the great history and assets Detroit possesses, but leaders are engaged in leveraging that legacy in a way that intentionally provides pathways to prosperity for everyone. Ensuring that immigrant contributions and communities are part of those strategies, policies, practices and programs is critical. And I’ve yet to find an organization as well prepared and impactful as Global Detroit to make sure that future is realized. It’s an honor to serve as the second board chair of this organization and I hope you are as inspired by the impacts Global Detroit produced in 2022 as I am. <img width="1898" height="630" width_o="1898" height_o="630" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b4fe85449be1a6fb8c8afc373a586ca39eca4eff5c12884685b9cfc99fe22f02/Signatures-03.png" data-mid="175006763" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b4fe85449be1a6fb8c8afc373a586ca39eca4eff5c12884685b9cfc99fe22f02/Signatures-03.png" /> https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org/Small-Business-Support Fri, 31 Mar 2023 18:41:15 +0000 2022 Global Detroit Impact Report https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org/Small-Business-Support Building Inclusion into Michigan’s Small Business Ecosystem Connecting small and micro businesses to critical funding and resources. In 2022, we strengthened and grew our capacity to support small businesses in our network, with a focus on providing technical assistance for capital acquisition. <img width="1080" height="1080" width_o="1080" height_o="1080" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/891b377aecf6d69fe073699b67426c9d6996e13949b601632d1af30626521247/SMALL-BIZ-3.png" data-mid="175011496" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/891b377aecf6d69fe073699b67426c9d6996e13949b601632d1af30626521247/SMALL-BIZ-3.png" /><img width="1080" height="1080" width_o="1080" height_o="1080" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fb49afe56593550f534e234e3b88ade02ae0ee4c0fe63d1daf3c553f3df5364a/SMALL-BIZ-4.png" data-mid="175011986" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/fb49afe56593550f534e234e3b88ade02ae0ee4c0fe63d1daf3c553f3df5364a/SMALL-BIZ-4.png" /> Our team provided support and resources through a range of approaches, including one-on-one conversations, virtual workshops, and in-person events with service providers. <img width="5681" height="3787" width_o="5681" height_o="3787" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f0d3f7a69d549ee0646a40a66b3928fad1fbd6a26c79408e0098d30a28fb0852/MarabouInternational05_17_22_124.jpg" data-mid="174689893" border="0" alt="Carline Dugue, founder of Marabou Hair Care." data-caption="Carline Dugue, founder of Marabou Hair Care." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f0d3f7a69d549ee0646a40a66b3928fad1fbd6a26c79408e0098d30a28fb0852/MarabouInternational05_17_22_124.jpg" /> Building a more inclusive small business ecosystem, statewide. In 2022, Global Detroit's small business team focused on connecting with partners to bring service delivery to underserved communities. Team members attended weekly meetings in Wayne County with the New Business Initiative and New Economy Initiative to advocate on behalf of their clients for system change and program improvements. <img width="2121" height="1414" width_o="2121" height_o="1414" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9032c64b7100149cd5251a1ec438b405a67b4899dee9d69cabad3f37d5aa8d43/Botanica-Fe-y-Amor--Global-Detroit-Edited-Sept.-2021-4-of-21.jpg" data-mid="174690268" border="0" alt="Diego Piata, owner of Botanica Fe y Amor." data-caption="Diego Piata, owner of Botanica Fe y Amor." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9032c64b7100149cd5251a1ec438b405a67b4899dee9d69cabad3f37d5aa8d43/Botanica-Fe-y-Amor--Global-Detroit-Edited-Sept.-2021-4-of-21.jpg" /> The team also worked with the New Economy Initiative to support a county-wide collaborative effort, aimed at building a system to track referrals and improve relationships between partners. At the statewide level, the team convened partners from the State of Michigan ecosystem to build inclusion into small business services. These efforts resulted in changes to state legislation to fund the hub-spoke model for business service provisions in the state. Additionally, Global Detroit partnered with a statewide initiative to codify micro business specifications into the State of Michigan laws. They also advocated for incentives and tax reductions to support entrepreneurs in launching their micro businesses. <img width="1633" height="2449" width_o="1633" height_o="2449" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2acd3d8e5253d1860058ff38a93803b8a5a3b0e857a0293cd7f2410b66546f31/Corte-Tropical--Global-Detroit-Edited-Sept.-2021-77-of-86.jpg" data-mid="174690323" border="0" alt="Robert Coronado, owner of Corte Tropical." data-caption="Robert Coronado, owner of Corte Tropical." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2acd3d8e5253d1860058ff38a93803b8a5a3b0e857a0293cd7f2410b66546f31/Corte-Tropical--Global-Detroit-Edited-Sept.-2021-77-of-86.jpg" /> <img width="2449" height="1633" width_o="2449" height_o="1633" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a9b43365d6aeb074068c96611e3d1702e8fb5df0267e837c4a06787d79bdc8b9/Corte-Tropical--Global-Detroit-Edited-Sept.-2021-79-of-86.jpg" data-mid="174690324" border="0" alt="Corte Tropical in Southwest Detroit." data-caption="Corte Tropical in Southwest Detroit." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a9b43365d6aeb074068c96611e3d1702e8fb5df0267e837c4a06787d79bdc8b9/Corte-Tropical--Global-Detroit-Edited-Sept.-2021-79-of-86.jpg" /> <img width="2449" height="1633" width_o="2449" height_o="1633" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/07f8118ec32d3f8f25f7f5e42fc81eb5cf61b3e8e2ee310c68003fa20b9eece0/Corte-Tropical--Global-Detroit-Edited-Sept.-2021-86-of-86.jpg" data-mid="174690325" border="0" alt="Corte Tropical in Southwest Detroit." data-caption="Corte Tropical in Southwest Detroit." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/07f8118ec32d3f8f25f7f5e42fc81eb5cf61b3e8e2ee310c68003fa20b9eece0/Corte-Tropical--Global-Detroit-Edited-Sept.-2021-86-of-86.jpg" /> Looking Ahead Small Business Ecosystem In 2023, Global Detroit will grow its efforts to promote inclusion in the small business ecosystem, across the state. This will include continued support for statewide initiatives by working directly with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), elected officials and other partners. Support for Small Businesses Global Detroit's small business team plans to expand its geographic service area to cover Southwest Detroit, including Cody Rouge and Warrendale. They will also strengthen existing relationships in East Davison Village, Banglatown, Hamtramck, and Detroit. The team is focused on connecting business owners to resources for different stages of business development, including access to capital through banking workshops, business tax preparation, and one-stop-shop connections with various service providers. The team is also designing a program that specifically supports immigrant women in launching micro businesses, as a result of feedback from small business owners about their needs and challenges. Learn more about Global Detroit’s work with small businesses &nbsp;here. <img width="2121" height="1414" width_o="2121" height_o="1414" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4c8fdd073f69ec260b44d91f544113aedc7ca76c4e56730e0fb317270f16e724/El-ArteSano--Global-Detroit-Edited-Sept.-2021-1-of-13.jpg" data-mid="174690752" border="0" alt="Mayra De La Cerda, owner of El ArteSano juice bar and cafe in Southwest Detroit." data-caption="Mayra De La Cerda, owner of El ArteSano juice bar and cafe in Southwest Detroit." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4c8fdd073f69ec260b44d91f544113aedc7ca76c4e56730e0fb317270f16e724/El-ArteSano--Global-Detroit-Edited-Sept.-2021-1-of-13.jpg" /> <img width="2449" height="1633" width_o="2449" height_o="1633" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/08057df05ba9dfec44c4688add51eec857f820c5a84fb234bca2ea6acf9567cf/El-ArteSano---Detroit-Masonry--Global-Detroit-Edited-Sept.-2021-69-of-86.jpg" data-mid="174690750" border="0" alt="El ArteSano juice bar in Southwest Detroit." data-caption="El ArteSano juice bar in Southwest Detroit." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/08057df05ba9dfec44c4688add51eec857f820c5a84fb234bca2ea6acf9567cf/El-ArteSano---Detroit-Masonry--Global-Detroit-Edited-Sept.-2021-69-of-86.jpg" /> <img width="2449" height="1633" width_o="2449" height_o="1633" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/04312af908659794d0378eda7931e4dfa8c4fa1af7e3dab19e0fab4afb5d0c7f/El-ArteSano---Detroit-Masonry--Global-Detroit-Edited-Sept.-2021-72-of-86.jpg" data-mid="174690751" border="0" alt="El ArteSano juice bar in Southwest Detroit." data-caption="El ArteSano juice bar in Southwest Detroit." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/04312af908659794d0378eda7931e4dfa8c4fa1af7e3dab19e0fab4afb5d0c7f/El-ArteSano---Detroit-Masonry--Global-Detroit-Edited-Sept.-2021-72-of-86.jpg" /> https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org/A-Tour-of-Banglatown Tue, 11 Apr 2023 23:07:25 +0000 2022 Global Detroit Impact Report https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org/A-Tour-of-Banglatown A Tour of Banglatown In 2022, members of the Global Detroit team captured this snapshot of Banglatown, a Hamtramck neighborhood with immigrants from all over the world. Video by Ritchie Harrison of Planning TES.&nbsp; https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org/Social-Cohesion Fri, 31 Mar 2023 18:41:15 +0000 2022 Global Detroit Impact Report https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org/Social-Cohesion Building Social Cohesion Global Detroit’s Social Cohesion project breaks down barriers between immigrants and long-term Detroit and Hamtramck neighbors. Global Detroit's Social Cohesion Initiative brings together long-time African American residents and newer immigrant neighbors in Detroit and Hamtramck's Banglatown and East Davison Village neighborhoods to design and realize a community-improvement project. Working closely on a common goal, neighbors establish trust, solidarity, and meaningful friendships. In 2022, the Social Cohesion Initiative focused on creating regular opportunities for neighbors to engage, including community canvassing efforts, resource fairs, and community meetings. Through these shared experiences, participants engaged with neighbors from different cultural backgrounds, got to know each other, and discovered things that they have in common. <img width="4280" height="2853" width_o="4280" height_o="2853" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6df6d7c6cbf252b84ceb6c8210da3f12a689b28dd39f8b5aeb6c662ff845942d/Maris_-Khaled-.jpg" data-mid="174691514" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6df6d7c6cbf252b84ceb6c8210da3f12a689b28dd39f8b5aeb6c662ff845942d/Maris_-Khaled-.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="667" width_o="1000" height_o="667" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/22e7c4cca2e01185cac8d99fa4ee335bbe99a50575eb95b1153353f2a45c77e8/5Q0A5602.jpg" data-mid="174691495" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/22e7c4cca2e01185cac8d99fa4ee335bbe99a50575eb95b1153353f2a45c77e8/5Q0A5602.jpg" /> Global Detroit hosted 15 events in 2022, and 150 people attended one or more of those events. Forty residents attended 2 or more events, while a core group of 20 joined up to 14 events throughout the year. 150 individuals from the community attended one or more of our events in 2022. To promote our events and share information about our work, we worked with 16 community members to canvass more than 1,300 homes over the course of the year. During events, community members discussed difficult experiences of discrimination and exclusion, and they revealed common interests. Community members even translated event fliers for Bangla and Yemeni communities and collaborated outside of the spaces created by Global Detroit. Community Resource Fairs The team hosted three resource fairs in 2022, focused on health, youth and housing, which were attended by over 130 community members in total. The resource fairs provided a space for participants to gain access to community resources and stakeholders, highlight common threads as individuals, and network.&nbsp; <img width="1000" height="667" width_o="1000" height_o="667" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/389ee0f80a54db98d173109325b7564d5878ae16f4328ea09337db11be4e21ab/5Q0A5495.jpg" data-mid="174691757" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/389ee0f80a54db98d173109325b7564d5878ae16f4328ea09337db11be4e21ab/5Q0A5495.jpg" /> These fairs were informative, fun-filled and interactive, with participants engaging in games and other activities.&nbsp; Building Bridges Resource Fair: Physical and Mental Health and Healthy Living Resources at the Lasky Recreation Center, November 5, 2022.&nbsp; Video by Ritchie Harrison of Planning TES. Community Conversations We hosted 10 community conversations in 2022, atended by over 100 community members, which facilitated shared understanding of cultural differences and restrictions that community members experience.&nbsp; In these conversations, participants were encouraged to share their ideas and concerns and to propose ideas to solve community problems. They also created an opportunity for participants to take leadership roles. <img width="5184" height="3456" width_o="5184" height_o="3456" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d8ebd41aef2ba5f4db95169fdc98cff512244af3650638874495a72beb80ca2d/IMG_6692.jpg" data-mid="174692271" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d8ebd41aef2ba5f4db95169fdc98cff512244af3650638874495a72beb80ca2d/IMG_6692.jpg" /> During our community conversations, we identified our project goals and the individual and group barriers that may hinder our progress toward reaching them. By highlighting these barriers, we were able to better understand our neighbors' cultural restrictions, generational challenges, and immediate needs. We also identified community assets, threats and partnership opportunities with other organizations and stakeholders, whereby we can continue to grow our work without reinventing the wheel. In its inaugural year, the Social Cohesion project has been successful in creating a sense of belonging and community among participants, and has laid the groundwork for a more inclusive and harmonious neighborhood. Looking Ahead Moving forward, the team is focused on identifying earned media and other opportunities to encourage participation and to build youth engagement. The team plans to involve more community members in the decision-making process and to create more opportunities for cross-cultural dialogue and collaboration. 2022’s resource fairs provided great insight into the priorities of community members of EDV, Banglatown, and surrounding neighborhoods in Detroit and Hamtramck. Participants have been actively and honestly identifying barriers the communities face when collaborating, and managing expectations as they go. We expect these insights to drive decisions around the community Social Cohesion project, which will be designed in 2023. Additionally in 2023, the team plans to reintroduce its dormant Oral History project, launch a partnership with the Hamtramck Library to broadcast community member interviews on local television stations, and publish monthly Social Cohesion calendars to serve as a resource to spotlight local businesses, community events and cultural holidays. In the words of Emma Davis, Global Detroit’s Community Development Program Manager, “it’s only the beginning!” <img width="5184" height="3456" width_o="5184" height_o="3456" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/17eb883991403281f97a49db835c7a7ce2eacec2a0290d316ed49bc560019aad/IMG_6726.jpg" data-mid="174692584" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/17eb883991403281f97a49db835c7a7ce2eacec2a0290d316ed49bc560019aad/IMG_6726.jpg" /> https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org/Common-Bond Fri, 31 Mar 2023 18:41:14 +0000 2022 Global Detroit Impact Report https://impact.globaldetroitmi.org/Common-Bond The Art of Connection The Evolution and Impact of the Common Bond Program The Common Bond: Muslin Ladies Social Club program was designed to offer a safe space for women and girls of all ages, religions, cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds to connect, create, and collaborate. Common Bond is an expansion of a two-year project that included cross-cultural textile arts, sewing, and storytelling workshops in Banglatown, Brightmoor, and Southwest Detroit. With an initial focus on textile arts, the group evolved and expanded in response to participants’ goals and the COVID pandemic. 60-70% of Common Bond participants were immigrant, Muslim women from Bangladesh, Yemen, Iraq, Senegal, Congo, and Cambia.&nbsp;30-40%&nbsp;were non-Muslim women from the United States and the Caribbean. The program created avenues for participants to build confidence and socio-economic capital that help them, their families and their communities to thrive. Common Bond's same-gender dynamic provided a safe environment for women of all cultures to freely create and engage while building cross-cultural connections, language skills, and learning to develop their own personal textile art practice. In order to reach and connect with participants, the program collaborated with highly engaged community partners, including the African Bureau for Immigrant and Social Affairs (ABISA) and the Women of Banglatown. We worked with local, professional artisans who, as Common Bond instructors, taught textile techniques in African American, Middle Eastern, and African traditions to participants from Detroit's immigrant-rich neighborhoods. Participants learned new creative skills and created unique pieces that were exhibited publicly, while expanding their social networks and forging connections and shared experiences. Muslim and non-Muslim artists were recruited to participate, and participants learned to create unique pieces of textile art and clothing with direct instruction and support. <img width="7279" height="5463" width_o="7279" height_o="5463" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e804051c0af57a3ceb7a43bbc4ae2cc35f040187c1772a44defb2a4ba8c102e5/Common-Bond_BanglatownGroup_2021.jpg" data-mid="174741413" border="0" alt="Common Bond participants in 2021." data-caption="Common Bond participants in 2021." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e804051c0af57a3ceb7a43bbc4ae2cc35f040187c1772a44defb2a4ba8c102e5/Common-Bond_BanglatownGroup_2021.jpg" /> 80% of Common Bond participants: attended all sessionsproduced at least one piece of textile art/garmentreported that they shared one similarity with another culturereported that they shared with another culture or faith <img width="2121" height="1414" width_o="2121" height_o="1414" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ba6ca9584ecd027b7832136ae4ee7a49aa9e34c916e9f43352768cc55d835ead/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-24-of-55.jpg" data-mid="174742428" border="0" data-scale="100" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ba6ca9584ecd027b7832136ae4ee7a49aa9e34c916e9f43352768cc55d835ead/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-24-of-55.jpg" /> Fiber Optics: Celebrating the Women of Common Bond In June 2022, Global Detroit hosted opening events for Fiber Optics, an exhibition of Common Bond participants’ work and creative projects throughout the Common Bond program at Oloman Cafe in the heart of Hamtramck. Festivities included an opening event, tea ceremony and graduation ceremony celebrating the women of Common Bond. <img width="2121" height="1414" width_o="2121" height_o="1414" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8ba8b4113e623695e7576c67ec56210ee27c527c191f2fe3346597b5015ecfe7/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-4-of-55.jpg" data-mid="174742422" border="0" alt="Common Bond participants pose at Fiber Optics, June 2022." data-caption="Common Bond participants pose at Fiber Optics, June 2022." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8ba8b4113e623695e7576c67ec56210ee27c527c191f2fe3346597b5015ecfe7/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-4-of-55.jpg" /> <img width="2121" height="1414" width_o="2121" height_o="1414" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/650fd2095c0b2d2b447cf83ce0ea4f178382776d5f35d30493534afe776e1157/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-48-of-55.jpg" data-mid="174742443" border="0" alt="Common Bond participants pose at Fiber Optics, June 2022." data-caption="Common Bond participants pose at Fiber Optics, June 2022." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/650fd2095c0b2d2b447cf83ce0ea4f178382776d5f35d30493534afe776e1157/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-48-of-55.jpg" /> <img width="2121" height="1414" width_o="2121" height_o="1414" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/042e74e0ab9e0865952085deff9db2332ab8b62f4237c6a6a7dc863c84b99782/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-50-of-55.jpg" data-mid="174742454" border="0" alt="Floral decor at Fiber Optics, designed by Ayana Events &amp; Decor." data-caption="Floral decor at Fiber Optics, designed by Ayana Events &amp; Decor." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/042e74e0ab9e0865952085deff9db2332ab8b62f4237c6a6a7dc863c84b99782/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-50-of-55.jpg" /> <img width="2121" height="1414" width_o="2121" height_o="1414" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/11455ca886edf2df28299cc858d0805a68349b11703d4ae89ea458e8dcd205be/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-12-of-55.jpg" data-mid="174742423" border="0" alt="Common Bond participants at Fiber Optics in June 2022." data-caption="Common Bond participants at Fiber Optics in June 2022." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/11455ca886edf2df28299cc858d0805a68349b11703d4ae89ea458e8dcd205be/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-12-of-55.jpg" /> <img width="2121" height="1414" width_o="2121" height_o="1414" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/88e92fc94adb5e92272262cb6a93af4518b476e4f9fe8af715fe22e20eb820f8/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-16-of-55.jpg" data-mid="174742424" border="0" alt="Common Bond participants with Global Detroit's Emma Davis at the Fiber Optics Tea Ceremony in June 2022." data-caption="Common Bond participants with Global Detroit's Emma Davis at the Fiber Optics Tea Ceremony in June 2022." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/88e92fc94adb5e92272262cb6a93af4518b476e4f9fe8af715fe22e20eb820f8/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-16-of-55.jpg" /> <img width="4032" height="3024" width_o="4032" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c8488dec11dce43fdbf46090bd6308ca2c66f8c434e94ab6c05545d265848180/fo-opening-3.jpeg" data-mid="174741814" border="0" alt="Common Bond participants' work on display at the Fiber Optics exhibition at Oloman Cafe in June 2022." data-caption="Common Bond participants' work on display at the Fiber Optics exhibition at Oloman Cafe in June 2022." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c8488dec11dce43fdbf46090bd6308ca2c66f8c434e94ab6c05545d265848180/fo-opening-3.jpeg" /> <img width="2121" height="1414" width_o="2121" height_o="1414" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f192b9872baa9376c74bb4dda3788a42ff774e51a2584d985be1ea9fbaafffa1/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-17-of-55.jpg" data-mid="174742425" border="0" alt="Common Bond participants at the Fiber Optics Tea Ceremony in June 2022." data-caption="Common Bond participants at the Fiber Optics Tea Ceremony in June 2022." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f192b9872baa9376c74bb4dda3788a42ff774e51a2584d985be1ea9fbaafffa1/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-17-of-55.jpg" /> <img width="2121" height="1414" width_o="2121" height_o="1414" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c30fadc144d1c6cbc6546b7ee8b0d41daa1f70ce81217c161e0150812530f26f/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-19-of-55.jpg" data-mid="174742426" border="0" alt="Common Bond participants at the Fiber Optics Tea Ceremony in June 2022." data-caption="Common Bond participants at the Fiber Optics Tea Ceremony in June 2022." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c30fadc144d1c6cbc6546b7ee8b0d41daa1f70ce81217c161e0150812530f26f/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-19-of-55.jpg" /> <img width="2121" height="1414" width_o="2121" height_o="1414" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/99abfba1de6d54fc499e2b451ac0c595142882b54b4b3a0b5c60619a202c60dc/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-25-of-55.jpg" data-mid="174742429" border="0" alt="Common Bond participants with Global Detroit's Gracie Xavier at Fiber Optics in June 2022." data-caption="Common Bond participants with Global Detroit's Gracie Xavier at Fiber Optics in June 2022." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/99abfba1de6d54fc499e2b451ac0c595142882b54b4b3a0b5c60619a202c60dc/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-25-of-55.jpg" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e336d181ecb4ebef18225c0a554ca96d821152c04708a216caf5957f502b7fc5/fo-opening-4.jpeg" data-mid="174741815" border="0" alt="Cofounders of Ayana Events and Decor prepare for Fiber Optics exhibition at Oloman Cafe, June 2022." data-caption="Cofounders of Ayana Events and Decor prepare for Fiber Optics exhibition at Oloman Cafe, June 2022." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e336d181ecb4ebef18225c0a554ca96d821152c04708a216caf5957f502b7fc5/fo-opening-4.jpeg" /> <img width="2121" height="1414" width_o="2121" height_o="1414" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4abf415bda77de887db8c0eaa23bb896875bdf67ec2ca591a7c9fd1a4f9df4b5/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-38-of-55.jpg" data-mid="174742437" border="0" alt="Common Bond participants at their graduation ceremony, held during Fiber Optics in June 2022." data-caption="Common Bond participants at their graduation ceremony, held during Fiber Optics in June 2022." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4abf415bda77de887db8c0eaa23bb896875bdf67ec2ca591a7c9fd1a4f9df4b5/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-38-of-55.jpg" /> <img width="2121" height="1414" width_o="2121" height_o="1414" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/aaf30d37e27272e39db70437478d76fa3c09eb4c0d260a63674cb26ce781f568/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-31-of-55.jpg" data-mid="174742430" border="0" alt="Common Bond participants with Global Detroit's Gracie Xavier at Fiber Optics in June 2022." data-caption="Common Bond participants with Global Detroit's Gracie Xavier at Fiber Optics in June 2022." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/aaf30d37e27272e39db70437478d76fa3c09eb4c0d260a63674cb26ce781f568/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-31-of-55.jpg" /> <img width="2121" height="1414" width_o="2121" height_o="1414" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ba6ca9584ecd027b7832136ae4ee7a49aa9e34c916e9f43352768cc55d835ead/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-24-of-55.jpg" data-mid="174742428" border="0" alt="Common Bond participants at the Fiber Optics graduation ceremony at Fiber Optics in June 2022." data-caption="Common Bond participants at the Fiber Optics graduation ceremony at Fiber Optics in June 2022." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ba6ca9584ecd027b7832136ae4ee7a49aa9e34c916e9f43352768cc55d835ead/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-24-of-55.jpg" /> <img width="4032" height="3024" width_o="4032" height_o="3024" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a0ef460c53fdfee511a44ce40f41fe19b937038f9159e454bb1265786c685159/fo-opening-2.jpeg" data-mid="174741813" border="0" data-scale="99" alt="Common Bond participants, with Global Detroit's Gracie Xavier, at the Fiber Optics opening event at Oloman Cafe, June 2022." data-caption="Common Bond participants, with Global Detroit's Gracie Xavier, at the Fiber Optics opening event at Oloman Cafe, June 2022." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a0ef460c53fdfee511a44ce40f41fe19b937038f9159e454bb1265786c685159/fo-opening-2.jpeg" /> <img width="2121" height="1414" width_o="2121" height_o="1414" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/042e74e0ab9e0865952085deff9db2332ab8b62f4237c6a6a7dc863c84b99782/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-50-of-55.jpg" data-mid="174742454" border="0" alt="Floral decor at Fiber Optics, designed by Ayana Events &amp; Decor." data-caption="Floral decor at Fiber Optics, designed by Ayana Events &amp; Decor." src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/042e74e0ab9e0865952085deff9db2332ab8b62f4237c6a6a7dc863c84b99782/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-50-of-55.jpg" /> <img width="1414" height="2121" width_o="1414" height_o="2121" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/dcc786c1a1ee97e161caf2e19f766d2ffe9999db293414ea8c66d461dc2a9d58/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-52-of-55.jpg" data-mid="174742476" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/dcc786c1a1ee97e161caf2e19f766d2ffe9999db293414ea8c66d461dc2a9d58/____--Oloman-Cafe-Event-52-of-55.jpg" /> Looking Ahead We aim to continue growing the Common Bond program, and to explore opportunities to collaborate with partners in co-creating a physical hub in Detroit's Banglatown neighborhood. Our goal is to create a safe women-only space where immigrant and Muslim women can leverage social bonds, community resources, and skill development to cultivate their artisan skills.&nbsp; These opportunities create avenues to build confidence and socio-economic capital that will help participants, their families and their communities thrive.