Press Releases
2010- Press Releases
Oakman Place Apartments Groundbreaking - Provides Homes and Hope
Detroit neighborhoods.
Detroit.
Oakman Place has been a concept on the drawing board for several years. We envision building a ‘community within a community’ with the residents of Oakman Place. We are excited to see this dream become a reality,” said Miles.
Oakman Place will also lend access to public transportation for youth to travel to work, personal appointments, and attend school.
Oakman Place is an important component of making the vision of a strong neighborhood a reality. It will provide housing and resources for both youth and families who truly can benefit from terrific new housing.”
LCFS has provided service to Michigan’s children and families through foster care, adoption, counseling, residential and family preservation services for over 110 years. LCFS will contract with Premier Property Management LLC, which currently manages over 35 apartment and townhouse residential facilities, to manage Oakman Place Apartments.
LCFS has been working with numerous groups to make this possible, including: Focus: HOPE, The Damone Group, AAB Development Strategies LLC, Fusco, Shaffer & Pappas, Inc., Wayne County Continuum of Care-Homeless Coalition, the City of Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Premier Property Management, LLC, Neighborhood Service Organization, HP Devco, Lighthouse of Oakland County, the City of Detroit, Oakman Boulevard Community Association, United Way of Southeast Michigan and other local community members. To find out more about LCFS, visit www.picturethepossibilities.org.
JUDGE KAREN A. TIGHE TO RECEIVE “FRIEND OF CHILDREN” AWARD FROM LUTHERAN CHILD & FAMILY SERVICE OF MICHIGAN
Bay City, MI - March 4, 2010- Judge Karen A. Tighe, Bay County Probate Judge, will receive the “Friend of Children” award Saturday, March 6, at the Bavarian Inn, in Frankenmuth, MI. Each year Lutheran Child & Family Service of Michigan (LCFS), hosts “Joy Along the Way,” an event designed to celebrate the work of the agency, its volunteers and the local community. LCFS established a “Friend of Children” award to recognize individuals who have made outstanding, unique and sometimes courageous contributions to advance the well being of children.
Judge Tighe is a 1972 graduate of the University of Michigan. She received her J.D. from the Detroit College of Law in 1976. Judge Tighe became an assistant prosecutor in Bay County in 1977, and also served as Friend of the Court Referee for 17 years. During the last four of those years, she was also the Circuit Court Administrator. In 1994 she was elected to her first term as Bay County Probate Judge. She was re-elected in 2000 and 2006.
During Judge Tighe’s tenure, the probate/juvenile court in Bay County has added special programming for youth, including a Day Treatment program located at the Bay-Arenac Community High School, a Gender-Specific After-School program for delinquent girls, and a Family Drug Treatment Court for parents whose children were removed due to substance abuse and neglect.
Judge Tighe is devoted to her community, and continues to serve in a variety of capacities. She is a former member of the board for the Bay County Women’s Center for five years, and she served as a Governor’s appointee to the Michigan Board of Psychology for two years. She has also served as board member of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bay County, the United Way of Bay County, and Bay Sail, a non-profit environmental and sail training enterprise. She is the current chairperson of Bay County’s Human Services Collaborative Counsel.
“I firmly believe that if all judges dealing with child welfare issues in the United States were as thorough, knowledgeable, inquisitive and able to establish a genuine rapport with children and youth brought to their courts as Judge Tighe demonstrates, the child welfare system would be significantly improved and the future for children in the ‘system’ would be so much brighter,” comments Miles.
Dr. Robert G. Miles, President/CEO of LCFS is thankful for Judge Tighe and what she has done for the child welfare system. “The judicial system plays a defining role for children and families in the child welfare system. Judge Tighe is one of the most, if not the most, respected jurist in Michigan when it comes to her work with children and families. She has a genuine commitment to the children and youth who stand before her. She demands accountability by all parties involved in a child welfare case, as she fully understands the importance and potential life long implications of the decisions she must make."
2009- Press Releases
Press Release for "Get Down with Motown"- A Fundraiser for Boys and Girls Republic:
“GET DOWN WITH MOTOWN” A FUNDRAISER TO BENEFIT BOYS & GIRLS REPUBLIC ON APRIL 4
Farmington Hills, MI – March 24, 2009- “Get Down with Motown” a fundraiser benefiting Boys and Girls Republic (BGR), an 80 bed residential treatment facility located in Farmington Hills, Michigan, will take place on April 4, from 7-11 p.m. at the Jack McElroy Recreation Center on the campus of BGR.
Tickets are $80 per person or $650 for a table of ten. The evening will include a marvelous Motown Menu, dancing to music by Street Corner, cash bar, silent and live auctions and prizes for the best Motown attire.
“This event will not only celebrate Detroit and the history of Motown, but it supports adolescents and families right here in our local community,” explains Dianne Bostic Robinson, Chair of the Spring Event Committee. “Proceeds from this event will help residents of BGR by changing and improving their lives, through educational and therapeutic services offered on campus.”
To make reservations for “Get Down with Motown” call Noreen Haggerty at (248) 476-9550 or nhaggert@lcfsmi.org. Boys & Girls Republic is a division of Lutheran Child & Family Service of Michigan.
Press Relase for Joy Along the Way in Frankenmuth Michigan:
JUDGE JUDY A. HARTSFIELD AND REV. JOHN NUNES RECEIVE “FRIEND OF CHILDREN” AWARD FROM LUTHERAN CHILD & FAMILY SERVICE OF MICHIGAN
Oak Park, MI - March 10, 2009- Judge Judy A. Hartsfield, Wayne County Probate Judge, and Rev. John Nunes, CEO of Lutheran World Relief; received the “Friend of Children” award Saturday, March 7, at the Bavarian Inn, in Frankenmuth. Each year Lutheran Child & Family Service of Michigan (LCFS), hosts “Joy Along the Way,” an event designed to celebrate the work of the agency, its volunteers and the local community. LCFS established the “Friend of Children” award to recognize individuals who have made outstanding, unique and sometimes courageous contributions to advance the well-being of children.
Judge Hartsfield is responsible for making some of the toughest and emotionally charged decisions regarding children and families. Her decisions have life-long impact.
Judge Hartsfield hears child abuse and juvenile delinquency cases in Wayne County.
“There aren’t many judges who intentionally seek this type of assignment. But Judge Hartsfield’s passion for children and for their future drives her commitment to juvenile and child welfare law,” explains Dr. Robert G. Miles, President/CEO of LCFS.
Her professional journey has equipped her for the work she now does on behalf of children and families. Judge Hartsfield is a dispenser of just treatment whether one is rich, poor, formally educated or street smart.
Rev. John Nunes is President and CEO of Lutheran World Relief (LWR), an international relief and development agency working in 35 countries. A prominent Lutheran leader known for his powerful voice applying theological insight to matters from global vocation to urban ministry in the United States, Nunes joined LWR in July 2007.
“Rev. Nunes’ leadership is seen around the world as he leads LWR, working to end poverty and injustice by empowering some of the world’s most impoverished communities to help themselves, “ explains Dr. Miles, “Wherever he goes, he connects with children and families to help them in their journey.”
Rev. Nunes holds advanced academic degrees from schools affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). He is currently a PhD candidate at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. For eight years (1996-2004), Rev. Nunes was a board member of Wheat Ridge Ministries, a national Lutheran health and pastoral services agency.
Judge Hartsfield and Rev. Nunes deserve to be recognized for their selfless efforts to help children and families in need. Their continued commitment and support truly makes a difference. Both honorees have demonstrated insight, courage and commitment.
“We are thrilled to have been working with Lutheran Child & Family Service of Michigan to bring a new, affordable housing product to our neighborhood,” said William F. Jones, Jr., CEO of Focus: HOPE. “Through our HOPE Village Initiative, we pledged to have a deep and lasting impact on the community surrounding our campus.
The project is located in a designated “cool cities” neighborhood, designed to reduce the energy impact of the city and maintain environmentally friendly operations.
According to Dr. Robert G. Miles, President/CEO of LCFS, the agency and its Board of Directors has been concerned about the number of youth in foster care who “age out of the child welfare system” and are in need of adequate housing and supportive services. “Very few of our own children make the transition into adulthood without ongoing support and guidance. We have also become sensitized to the number of families who are challenged to find adequate, safe and affordable housing.
Not only will residents be provided with housing, additional supportive services will be available onsite, including a case manager, an educational liaison and an employment specialist.
Of the 24 units developed by Fusco, Shaffer & Pappas, Inc., nine one-bedroom units will be reserved for homeless youth and one two-bedroom unit for a homeless youth with a child. The remaining 14 units will be made available to families at or below 60% of Area Median Income. When completed, the new facility will be approximately 25,666 square feet, located on a parcel that is just under one acre.
Detroit, Michigan – June 15, 2010 - Lutheran Child & Family Service of Michigan (LCFS) along with Focus: HOPE and The Damone Group, will break ground on Oakman Place Apartments on Oakman Blvd., a $5.1 million affordable housing community for homeless youth, at 11 a.m. on June 22, 2010 as a collaborative effort to revitalize residential areas of
Residential facility breaks ground to provide affordable housing to homeless youth as part of an ongoing effort to re-develop
