Giving Back

Last year, I joined a group of people from the burbs that met in Detroit to tear down a house.  We often hear about Detroit's troubles, but do we feel some ownership of its problems?  Although some of us live in the Ann Arbor area, Detroit is still the major city associated with our region.  So, we probably should care.

Our One MSIS vision speaks of Balance.  One aspect of life's balance is balancing taking with giving.  I wrote about stewardship a few posts back and I mentioned how people have come to expect their governments to provide all required services for taxes paid.  It should be clear that model doesn't work.  There is no better example than the city of Detroit.

Detroit is easily one of the largest municipalities in the country.  At approximately 143 square miles, it is a sprawling mess.  Estimates put the number of homes that need to come down between 40,000 and 60,000 properties.  Whatever the number, we have a lot of work ahead.

One of the greatest feelings is doing something to help others without expecting anything in return.  The fact is, we do benefit when Detroit gets stronger.  Just ask the people who live in the suburbs of Charlotte or Bozeman -- cities that have seen robust growth.

There's a company in Detroit called Blight Busters that coordinates house demolitions.  You can go downtown any Saturday morning and help out.  We could also organize as a group and go down there.  If you are interested in such an event, shoot me an email.  If we have enough people to make a crew, I'll set it up.  C'mon!  When was the last time you got swing a sledgehammer?