THE ICHIGAN CITIZEN JUNE 7 - 13, 1987
3
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I
DETROIT-U-SNAP-BAC,
a community-based neighbor­
hood organization, launched
• ts housing rehabilitation
program Iune 1, 12010
. den, a Habitat for ·
Humanity-rehabilitated home.
In partnership with Habitat
for Humanity and the
Michigan State Housing
Development Authority
(MSHDA) , U-SNAP-BAC
plans to purchase homes with
a $40,000 grant from
MSHDA, rehabilitate them
with Habitat for Humanity
and sell them to low income
individuals.
The proceeds from the
sales will fund a revolving loan
program for home repairs.
U-SNAP-BAC projects
rehabilitating three homes per
year over a five-year span.
The demonstration home
featured t the kick-off was
vacant for six years before it
sold to Habitat for
ounce
ousing e ab
o kshop
DETROIT -F"1Ye case
tudies of successful hous­
ing programs under en
by neighborhood based 0 -
ganizations in Detroit will
be the fOQlS of a free, half­
day op Saturday,
June 20, from 9 am to
12:30 p.m. at the Interna­
tional Institute, 111 E.
Kirby t John R.
studies include
examp of:
-Purchase, rehab, r
of ingJe family and two
family ho for profit and
non-profit
-Senior citizen emergen­
cy home repair.
- Rehab of multiple
dwelling unit
- e housing construe­
tioa
The case studies will be
presented by the sponsor­
ing neighborhood-based or­
ganiza ions: Michigan
Avenue Community Or­
ganization; Reach, Inc..;
Heritage Housing; West
Village Association;
Detroit onprofit Housing
Corp.
"Don't reinvent the
wheel!" urge workshop or­
ganmrs. • Attend the
rkshop and find out how
some neighborhoods have
tackled housing problems
in their neighborhoods."
Make reservations by
contacting: Housing
Workshop, c/o City Plan­
ning Commission, 202 City-
County Bldg., Detroit,
48226.
Or phone workshop
coordinator Dolores
Weberat313�788
9
·a
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al
mo
e
•
In
forestry
field
And Planning: Building A
Community, is a consortium of
13 community and business or­
ganizations on Detroit's
eastside.
The group formed in 1985
to impact and control their
communities' futures, focusing
on housing and commercial
improvement, and crime
prevention.
Last year, U-SNAP-BAC
was awarded an unprece­
dented $6OO,CXXl grant from
the eigbborhood Oppor­
tunity FWKl for hom repairs
in two areas, business incen­
tive and commerci improve­
ment programs for three com­
mercial stri two' build-
r and public rvice
progr
Habi t for Humanity is an
intematioaal, «"meni non­
profi h ins ministry dedi­
'cated to helping the economi-
cally poor improve the condi­
tions . °ch they are forced
to liYe.
The metro Detroit affiliate
of H . formed in
February 1986.
In December, 1986, the
group purchased three homes
from the city which are now
being rehabilitated, mostly
through volunteer labor and
materials.
Upon completion, the
houses will be sold to low in­
come families at no profit and
no interest
PRESTO COL
five year 0 to mai or in
agriculture. After a ye , he
transferred to fore ry de ite
his advi r's concern .
Cole said there are fewer
than 10 Black fore ers in the
entire United State
" any Bl cks aren't aware
of the job possibilities in the
fi ld" said Cole, and blame
that on the fore try hool
and the indu ry.
Habitat volunteer
Being the only Black in the
department has made it a rocky
road for Cole, but he says he's
glad it is over and proud to be
. a graduate of the University
of i uri.
In the beginning he didn t
feel he could talk to other
students about assignments that
he didn't under tand. Con-
quently hi gr des suffered.
Cole says he ha never ex­
perience overt racism ithin the
department even though many
of the students never bef re
interacted with a Blac person.
"If I hadn't been out-
going I probably would have
experience tremendou amounts
of racism" he said. Cole be­
lieves that if he was a introvert
he would have h d a much
more difficult time beeau the
students wouldn't rea h out to
him.
It might have h lped, too
that Cole wa a student assi tant
for Mi uri ba etball coach
orm Ste art for four years.
Th t, Cole said gained him a
lot attention.
"Ba etball gave the fore try
student mething to identify
with" Cole said.
Cole is resp nsible for help-
ing to recruit a fe f the Bla
ba etball players on the team,
and star Derric Chievou as
his first prospect.
ole says th fore try mar­
ket is flooded with whit male
and many of hi cl ates
are on erned ab ut not findin
ajob.
He ill apply his
timber management t
f re try position
Mi uri Department
servati n in st. Loui .
I ays he d esri't ant
to be a ten. • They d n't
k.n w I can do the job yet but
I know I can he said.
Hi job cover a three-
county area. Part of his job
will b wor in on an edu at­
ion project, di min tin infor­
mation to grade- ho I children.
• They can relate to me in
the inner-city school and I
ant to pave the y for other
Black ' Cole says. ' I ant
to et kids intere ted. If even
one id g s into fore try,
th t' progre "he said.
01 i the n of 0 ar
Cole Benton Harb r and
B tty hurn du i hi an.
m [or in
an urban
ith the
f n-
re
Humanity by the City of
Detroit
Rehab began in February
of this year and � scheduled
for completion by the end of
July.
Ruby Kennedy, chairperson
for U-SNAP-BAC thinks that
the program will be successful
because of the partnership es­
tablished at the outset
"This program is the first of
its kind on the eastside of
Detroit with a unique partner­
ship among the community,
government and church, she
said "It is sure to be a sue­
cess, one that should be dupli­
cated city-wide.-
U-SNAP-BAC, an aaonym
for. United Street Networking
Cole cu
On ay 16, 1987 Preston
Cole, of Benton Harbor became
the fir t Black udent to
receive a degree from the
chool of Forestry ,
Fisheries and ildlife since it
reorganization in 1973.
He did it even though an
advi r arned him not to.
Cole was an agriculture major
when he decided to itch.
'My griculture advi r told
me that I didn't ant to get
into fore ry becau there ere
no Blac in the department,
Cole recalled. The advi r wa
Black.
Today, there still are no
Black faculty members in the
forestry department. There is
only one full-time Bl k pro­
fe r among 55 faculty mem­
bers in the School of Journalism.
Only two of 105 faculty mem­
bers in the College of Edu­
cation are Black.
Some are s, such as math
and economics have no Blae
faculty.
Cole i only the third Blae
graduate since the forestry
hool was organized in 1947.
Ralph Logan was the first to
graduate in 1966.
Cole came to the University