Having uncomfortable conversations about race: How do we start?
It’s a recurring theme hearing that we should have difficult conversations about race. The questions is: “How do we start?”Local 4′s Devin Scillian sat down with former Detroit City Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel and Focus Hope CEO Portia Roberson to talk about how people can engage with others on the topic. You can watch the full conversation in the video above.
Focus: HOPE donates thousands of meals to seniors across Metro Detroit
DETROIT – With so many people out of work, the need is great this holiday season. Local organizations -- like Focus: HOPE -- are trying to ease the burden one meal at a time. Loretta Brown is one of hundreds -- yes, hundreds -- of volunteers working with Focus: HOPE to bring food to low income seniors across Metro Detroit. “So we’ll have the turkey, produce, stuffing -- all things for a holiday meal -- and not just for Christmas, but hopefully a few more days before and after that,” said Focus: HOPE Food Program Director Frank Kubik,Saturday, Focus: Hope delivered 1,400 special holiday boxes. “They said, ‘No problem!’ They stepped up and said they’ll do what needs to be done.”You can donate to Focus: HOPE on its official website here.
Michigan Secretary of State, Detroit city clerk team up for upcoming November election
DETROIT The Michigan Secretary of States Office and the Detroit city clerk are teaming to make sure every vote counts for the upcoming November general election. Presidential elections always bring a lot of energy, said Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey. Winfrey said her office and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson are working together to make sure every vote is counted. They are recruiting and training at least 6,000 election workers to make sure all 182 polling locations and 134 absentee counting boards are fully staffed. They will conduct physically distant in person training at Little Caesars Arena for new election workers to ensure election workers and staff are ready for Nov. 3.
Program aims to lift people from homelessness, unemployment to nursing career
DETROIT – The banner says, "School of Nursing, Oakland University," but it's right in the middle of Detroit at Focus Hope. OU's School of Nursing at Focus Hope has $800,000 in grant money earmarked for full tuition for qualified applicants. "Detroit is one of the leading cities in the United States with third-generation poverty," said Brad Atchison, of Volunteers of America. The nursing school went to where the people are, looking for a few who might qualify and be interested in going to nursing school for free. There are some basic qualifications needed to get to the interview phase of the program.