Metro Detroit students help remodel lives one community at a time

Life Remodeled students and Cody High School students work together to restore a community

DETROIT – Work is underway to help the nonprofit organization Life Remodeled give Cody High School and 100 blocks of the surrounding neighborhood a major facelift this August.

Though renovation week is still a few weeks away, students from both Cody High School and Life Remodeled have rolled up their sleeves and are working together to make sure the school is ready for the 10,000 volunteers this August.

From scraping old paint off the walls, to cutting down old trees, and even removing cabinets and counters in the old kitchen, the student volunteers have been busy all summer.

"I can do whatever I want with my summer, but I'd like to do something that actually matters," said Life Remodeled student Andy Kurili.

These students know they are doing more the renovating a high school, they are changing a community.

"We are helping to just beautify the neighborhood and the school in preparation for when Life Remodeled comes later on in the end of the summer," said Life Remodeled student Lizzie Cadicamo. "So we are like just cleaning the bushes and taking them all out."

"I think it is cool actually, to have some people that doesn't know us or doesn't know nothing about us, to volunteer, " said Cody High School sophomore Micheal Brown.

The students are working on transforming Cody High School. Together students have planted a garden and emptied out the home economics kitchen to make room for the newly donated Ikea kitchen.

A new teacher's lounge, medical simulation lab, S.T.E.M lab, and possibly a new football field are also in the works for Cody High School.

"The biggest thing that this city needs, its not money or anything like that," said Kurili. "Its love, caring, and hope. Just letting them know we are here for them."

Many of the students are putting all their energy and effort into making sure Cody High School is ready for August.

"I have been in the dumpster the whole time," said Kurili. "It has been about five hours where people have been handing me the branches and stuff and I throw them in the back to make sure everything is organized."

Renovating Cody High School is more than just beautifying the blocks, it is uniting the community.

"We are blessed to have a community that really collaborates on a lot of projects and we have been doing it for quite some time now," said executive director of the Cody Rouge Action Alliance, Kenyetta Campbell.

Throughout this entire remodeling process, Life Remodeled has been listening to the residents of the Cody Rouge Community, creating the renovation plan based off of what the residents want to see changed.

"Often times we develop projects and a lot of times young people are there as volunteers, but these kids are a part of helping developing the plans," Campbell said.

"The help that we got will inspire a lot of schools to change," said Cody High School sophomore Vanessa Brown.

Teamwork is a common theme throughout this project and Life Remodeled has been working with businesses and individuals to make sure the renovations stay on track and the school is ready for students in the fall.

Renovation week is Aug. 11-17 and you you can become a part of the team by volunteering your time or simply making a donation.

Life Remodeled is also in need of tools for the renovation and will be holding two tool drop off days at 10 a.m to 2 p.m  July 26 and July 27 at Cody High School at 18445 Cathedral Street Detroit, MI 48228.