Guest Editorial … Volunteers are needed in helping with needy households

By Max Gilginas
The City of Hamtramck’s Community Involvement Office is pleased to announce that it has partnered with the AmeriCorps’ My Neighborhood Connections program, through Detroit’s Hannan Center, to coordinate assistance for Hamtramck senior and disabled residents.
We recognize the extraordinary value that seniors and disabled persons provide for our community, and it is our goal to exchange knowledge gained over time for assistance with home and yard care.
Hamtramck Mutual Aid Volunteers have established the Every Neighbor project, funded by the Hamtramck Community and the Rotary Club of Detroit.
An AmeriCorps volunteer will be working with Beautification and Volunteer Coordinator Max Gilginas to connect seniors needing assistance with different community organizations that help with food security, bills, yard clean-up and minor household repairs.
In 2022, 30 volunteers with the Mutual Aid pilot program helped over forty households by doing snow shoveling, yard clean up, and code enforcement compliance.
Volunteers also worked throughout the city, cleaning and beautifying neighborhood sites. The program’s volunteers gave over 400 hours of their time to help their neighbors and the community. We hope to expand the program in 2023.
Contact John Jakary at jjakary@hannan.org to volunteer, or if you need assistance.
If you need to reach us via phone, please call Max Gilginas at (313) 800-5233, extension 326.
Posted April 21, 2023