The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, July 31, 1985 - Page 11
Peace Center aids city's poor, jobless, and troubled
(Corimued from Page 1)
the center's Assistant Director, Nondi was afraid I would get hurt," Loyd
said.
OrFuding for the Center comes from The center opened in 1972 when the
the city's general fund, federal dollars buildings were donated by the Zion
channeled through the Community Lutheran Church and the Trinity
Block Grant, private donors, and Lutheran Church, although the center
Bloc ranivate. d is not a religious organization, accor-
church organizations, ding to 24-year-old Bonnie Billups,
Fundraising is an ongoing project director of youth programs and peer
for workers at the center. Although all counseling at the center.
programs are free to families Martin has been director of
donations are always welcome, Orazi the center for seven years and
1 said. . assistant director since the center
INSIDE THE center's main<
building, the kitchen buzzes with the opened. Her life has been devoted to
social services and she carries a state
excited voices of three adult coun- license to practice social work.
selors for tae day camp. They are PEER COUNSELING is an impor-
packing lunches of sandwiches, fruit, tant part of the Alternatives For
and salad for the 35 campers, who are Youth program at the center. The
getting ready for a day at the beach. program a r he te The
Sprawled on the couch next to a program is organized to offere
library filled with donated books, 14- crime, an atesnatie toademi
crime, and it supplies academic K
year-old Terry Loyd waits with the tutoring, employment assistance, and
campers for the center's rented bus. access to the center's recreational
"Usually I would just sit around and programs. Counselors provide
watch TV all day. Now I play games someone to talk to and often help solve
with the kids, take them to parks, and rs
take attendance. It's a lot of fun," he roblrds for t ho hv police
records and a history of substance
said. .aue
''The Peace Neighborhood Center is abuse Federal Department of
important for everyone. The teens Criminal Justice has recognized the
and adults can come to talk and program as one of Michigan's top five
unloare here to sup rt ther said Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Daily Photo by KATE O'LEARY
important for the kids, too. They con- Programs. Two buddies in an elementary day camp service ham it up yesterday at the Peace Neighborhood Center.
sider the center a safe space they can With the young campers gone for
aide th ceter saf spce heycanthe day, the center appears to be a lit-
just drop in on." dte quieter. But not for long. Director see someone in trouble .. ." she said, "She told me she wasn't going to providers," Goff said.
FOR LOYD, his job at the center is Martin is heard entering the main door shaking her head, her voice trailing pull me out of no binds, but that I During the After-School program,
important to his mother because he is in after a night of working at the Shelter off. would have to learn myself. Today I children from elementary schools are
a protected environment. "Before I for the Homeless. "She works herself The phone rang before her sentence don't expect people to pull me out, pay transported to the center, where they
was hired here, my mom wouldn't let to death and she has earned her was completed. After agreeing to pick for my lawyer or whatever. But she receive a nutritious snack, homework
me get a job anywhere because she respect," Nondi said before Martin up a youth when running her errands, taught me that I can pull myself out," assistance and individual tutoring.
walked into the office. she said, "The more you work, the McRae said. Learning games called LIFE (Lear-
MARTIN SITS down, looking very more work you gotta do." But the THE CENTER also helps in- ning Is A Fun Experience) are played
O LIC disturbed. Driving on the highway she saying that is often quoted by her is dividuals and families who need to help the 30-40 youths who attend the
saw the driver of a car accident laying "you can do it," and Martin firmly emergency fo' d, shelter, assistance, program each academic school day.
in the road while nobody stopped to believes this. help with rent, gas a s d child "AT offer incentives to
N O T help. "It hurt me that nobody was The phone rings again before she care. "If we can't deliver ti E service the chiloren and teens to learn and
doing right," Martin said. "When I can make her exit. This time the call for them, we find the resources they start bringing unity into their
is more serious. A woman is need," Orazisaid. families," Martin said.
'Woman raped hysterical because her husband just Rick Goff, public services and The center employes three full-time
W m nr edR ap es m ay beat her. Martin counseled her to pull economic development coordinator of and three part-time workers, com-
A woman was raped at 4:15 am. . herself together for the "little ones," the Community Development Fund, a bined with two volunteers from Volun-
Tuesday in the 1000 block of S. Forest. e ct the woman's children who needed her. funding source for the Peace Center, teers in Service to America (VISTA).
The suspect forced a window open, li connec After moments of private conver- said, "The center has been successful Also, student volunteers from the
tied the woman's hands behind her sation, Martin hung up. Martin looked in utilizing the network of exisiting University's Project Outreach work
back, and raped her, police said. (Continued fromPage1) out the window and gazed beyond the human services in the city and has during the fall and winter terms.
Although police have no suspects in said Deputy Chief Donald Johnson. basketball court behind the center. "I been recognized as one of the best "I don't get frustrated about
custody, they are looking for a man "All indications are that it's the same can't stand fighting," she said. multi-dimensional human service nothing here," McRae said.
described as 5 foot 11 inches and 165 person," he said. "I DO NOT have the college degree
* pounds. In each case, the women were alone but I lived in these situations and
at around 4 a.m. when the suspect worked with people." Martin said.
Break-ins reported quietly broke into their residences. He A car pulls into the gravel driveway
A door was forced open sometime this tried to stuff something in three of the of the Peace Center. Twenty-year-old
past weekend to a home in the 1300 victims' mouths. (The woman on Marc McRae occasionally dope into
block of S. University but nothing was Cambridge escaped before he could the center now. He has been attending
A window was broken to a home in In the rape cases, the assailant tied the nation with the center since he say..E
the 1600 block of S. State St. over the the women's hands behind their' was seven. 'I've seen a lot of things I CAN AND FOREIGN CAR SPECIALIST
weekend but nothing was taken, backs, raped them, and fled. wouldn't have seen. I wouldn't have
police said. Police are doing "everything that been nowhere," he said.
we can think of that's legal" to ap- He also said he wouldn't have a car
* Wallets and bike stolen prehend the suspect, Johnson said. or a full-time job without the center s FROM As* FITS MANY
A bicycle valued at $125 was stolen "We have some leads and we'll follow help IT WbSNT for them at the ntaled by LOW AS SMALL CARS
from outside the Institute for Social up on them, but whether theyll be "IF I orthe a t tulled b PARTICIPATING
Research building on Thompson St. fruitful or not remains to be seen," he as far as I wd thae mdi't specdu'ss DEALERS
Monday between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. said. graduate last year from high school, Installed Featuring.
when the cable lock was cut. The woman who was raped yester- graute hlst yer fr ,"g school
A staff member's purse valued at day "was fairly emotionally but they helped me get far," McRae
$49 was stolen out of her desk drawer distraught" and was sent to Univer- sad. Reor oh he lnea name:
in the Kresge Medical Research building sity Hospitals for treatment, Johnson ca e nuerosvted yos YPSILANTI
when she left the office between i and said police plan to interview her income and underpriviledged youths 206 Washtenaw Avenue (1 Mi. E. of US 23)......................572-9177
whenshelef th oficebeteen1 ad agin ate togeta mre etaledin Ann Arbor, has learned to rely on TYO
1:30 p.m. Monday, campus security ad ription of he a more detailed the Peace Neighborhood Center and 14250 S Telegraph Rd. 1 . N. a uek Rd.).. .946-847
said. Johnson urged residenta to "make Martin for help. "I tried to stay close Individually Owned & Operated
A student's wallet was stolen bet- sure your doors and windows are to Rose to stay out of trouble back IN AND OUT IN 30 MINUTES IN MOST CASES
ween 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. from the then. I take my problems straight to
Med Sci II building, resulting in a net secured, locked, the perpetrator her, he said. After his first and only
g can't quietly gain access to your he, hesi.Ate i istadol O E A NDS T86P
loss of $15. - Laura Bischoff house." run-in with the police, McRae sought Copyright 01985 Meineke
Martin for help.