Skillman project raises hopes in
southwest Detroit
Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Published April 14, 2006
Detroit – A series of community meetings held at Our Lady Queen of Angels Parish in southwest Detroit is having the effect of bringing the neighborhood together, as well as offering hope for the future of southwest Detroit, says Fr. Anthony Richter.
The meetings, part of the Skillman Foundation's Good Neighborhoods initiative, involve all segments of southwest Detroit's population – those of European descent, as well as Latinos and Arab-Americans – in discussions about developing grassroots projects aimed at helping children that might qualify for funding from the foundation, explains Fr. Richter, the parish's pastor.
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Fr. Anthony Richter is the pastor of Our Lady Queen of Angels Parish, which has been hosting community meetings. | "The process has been long and involved a lot of hard work, but it looks like it will bring about good things in the future," he says.
The Skillman Foundation's intention is to put $75 million citywide into projects developed at the neighborhood level over the next 10 years, says Tonya Allen, its program director. The foundation already makes annual grants to inner-city schools (including Catholic schools) based on academic performance, and funds three assistant principal positions in Detroit Catholic schools.
The philanthropic foundation was established in 1960 from the estate of Robert Skillman, who had been an executive of the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. (3M).
As stated in a foundation document, "The initiative's goal is to transform Detroit's neighborhoods into healthy, safe and supportive environments for children, youth, and their families by working directly with concerned citizens and organizations in specific neighborhoods."
Fr. Edward Zaorski, vicar of the Southwest Vicariate, says, "What's exciting is that the Skillman Foundation is making a long-term commitment to certain sectors of the city."
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Sheila Crowell, a community activist, is hoping for help for Dingeman Park. | The meetings in southwest Detroit are intended as "a springboard" for similar efforts in five other areas of Detroit, says Fr. Zaorski, who is also pastor of All Saints Parish, and administrator of SS. Andrew & Benedict and St. John Cantius parishes.
Representatives of the archdiocesan Office of Youth Ministry have been attending the meetings, he continues. And, pointing out that the initiative's emphasis on youth is also the focus of the Together in Faith process, he adds that he hopes "some great partnerships will develop."
Skillman's Allen says, "We are very pleased that the faith community has been very active in southwest Detroit," and she adds that Fr. Zaorski has been instrumental in seeing to it that a wide range of faith affiliations has been involved in the meetings at Our Lady Queen of Angels.
Fr. Richter says the sessions have attracted participation by activists – such as Sheila Crowell – who have been working to improve the community, though often without much in the way of financial resources.
Crowell, who has had some success getting the city Parks & Recreation Department to do some cleanup and repair work at Dingeman Park, next to Chadsey High School and across from St. Andrew Church, says she had not realized how bad the situation in Detroit really was until Skillman officials provided information on poverty and illiteracy.
According to the foundation, "The poverty level of children in Detroit, for example, is worse than that of children in rural Mississippi."
For Crowell, that means, "If this neighborhood doesn't get together and fight for something better, our children won't have a future. But if we all work together, something will happen."
Although Crowell's efforts have resulted in some long-deferred maintenance work at Dingeman Park, she says that has only meant that city workers have finally done some of the work they should have been doing all along. But the park needs significant improvement work she estimates would cost at least $600,000.
"It's got tennis courts that are all cracked concrete and weeds, and a baseball diamond that I didn't even know was a baseball diamond for all the weeds," she says.
The Skillman commitment offers some hope that capital improvement projects benefiting children might now be funded, says Crowell. "The people at Skillman – I just can't say anything but how great they've been," she adds.
While Our Lady Queen of Angels Parish is just hosting the Skillman-sponsored meetings, Fr. Richter sees its involvement as part of the parish's increasing connection to its community.
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