Detroit Branch NAACP Unveils B.R.I.D.G.E.S Initiative

DETROIT, July 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Detroit Branch NAACP unveiled details of its Building Resources In Detroit Giving Expanded Services (B.R.I.D.GE.S) initiative during a press conference held at Cody High School on Thursday, July 8, 2010.  The initiative was begun to develop solutions for community, policing, and youth violence prevention for ages 14-24.  The press conference was led by Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony, president, Detroit Branch NAACP.  Rev. Anthony announced several major components of the initiative:

• Youth Summer Employment Program – to run for six weeks beginning
  July 19, 2010 – August 27, 2010.  The program will fund approximately 1,000 jobs.  
• Six Detroit Public Schools will be open for extended hours for young people to receive job readiness training, mentoring, and recreation opportunities.   The schools will be open from 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday for Detroit residents and Detroit Public School students between the ages of 14-24.  These six schools are:
  • Cody College Preparatory Upper School of Teaching and Learning
  • Kettering High School
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School
  • Mumford High School
  • Pershing High School
  • Southwestern High School

The Considine Little Rock Family Life Center will also be a site for some of the training and recreational programming.

B.R.I.D.G.E.S has received a $100,000 donation from the DTE Foundation and also established a faith based honor roll.  This faith based honor roll is seeking a $1,500 donation from all churches, temples, and mosques to provide the funding necessary for the employment of the young people.  The goal for the faith-based honor roll is for 1,000 churches to commit $1,500 to employ young people this summer.  Contributing to the faith based honor roll thus far are:

• Fellowship Chapel, Rev. Wendell Anthony-- $2,000
• Corinthian Baptist Church, Pastor Samuel Bullock -- $1,500
• Little Rock Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. Jim Holley -- $1,500
• Northwest Unity Baptist Church, Rev. Oscar King III -- $1,500
• Rose of Sharon, Pastor Ronald Woods Sr. -- $1,500
• Second Ebenezer Church, Rev. Edgar Vann -- $1,500
• Unity Baptist Church, Rev. Victor Spots -- $1,500

The Skillman Foundation will match all donations given by the faith-based institutions.   The business community is also invited to participate in a business honor roll.  Businesses are asked to provide a donation for the hiring of at least ten young people.  The first business owner to make a contribution is Atty. Nabih Ayad.  Additional donations have also been received by the Michigan State Police -- $5,000; Black Family Development -- $5,000, and the Detroit FBI office and Detroit Police Department have pledged to make donations from drug forfeiture money.  

On June 14, 2010 the Detroit Branch NAACP in partnership with law enforcement, community and faith based groups held an open discussion at Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School in Detroit.  The open discussion focused on creating solutions regarding community, policing and violence in Detroit.  

"The open discussion on June 14 was to begin the work that we know is necessary for Detroit to heal, grow and be a place of hope for our young people," says Rev. Anthony.  "We pledged to work for real solutions to bring about change in Detroit and we have taken the first step with the B.R.I.D.G.E.S initiative."

For more information please contact the Detroit Branch NAACP at (313) 871-2087.

The Detroit Branch NAACP is the organization's largest branch.  It holds monthly meetings that are free and open to the public.  For more information please call (313) 871-2087 or visit www.detroitnaacp.org.

SOURCE Detroit Branch NAACP