Dream Centers of Michigan

Housing: 12 MONTH RESIDENTIAL HOUSING PROGRAM is designed for young men ages 18-24 focusing on life transformation through relationships, life skills, accountability, and spiritual growth. Services provided for all program residents include mentoring, wellness benefits, education, employment, food, and lodging. The goal is for participants to graduate, practicing a healthy lifestyle that promotes and maintains self-sustainability. Nineteen young men were served with eleven young men participating in a life-change leadership development program with 3 pursuing Higher Education, 3 Skilled Trades and 5 Living Wage Employment.

Education: We partner with the Pontiac School District, Beyond Basics and Bloomfield Tennis & Fitness to offer kid's K-5th grade an opportunity to improve their grade-level reading and become proficient as a tennis player. We typically serve 35-40 kids. Our post literacy-assessment tests results showed that 75% of the students showed improvement and 25% of the students stayed the same. We were able to have our Kids Summer Camp this year with 100 kids in attendance. We also did an extension of our After School Program by offering Kids Summer Tennis at Bloomfield Tennis & Fitness for 20 kids.

Economic Empowerment: Through literacy, workforce development, mentoring, transportation, and general education, we provide opportunities for kids, teens, and adults to be equipped with life skills necessary to overcome the obstacles of poverty. The Workforce Development Program includes pre-employment readiness, job placement and assignment of a life coach. We offer life skills classes for all adult clients including such topics as conflict management, financial management, communication, computer skills, resume writing and interview skills, etc. Pre-COVID we had 20-25 people per class. (continued on Schedule O) The Workforce Development program served 100+ clients pre-COVID. We were able to serve 55 people this year. The Social Enterprise Program pioneers partnerships with businesses employing those with barriers to employment on-site at the Dream Center providing life skills education, technical skills, childcare, and transportation with the goal of participants transitioning to sustainable living wage employment in the marketplace. The Social Enterprise partnership with Morrell Group & Amazon served 17 people, employed 12 people with 7 employment positions available. During the year, 6 people moved towards self-sustainability, 3 obtained affordable housing and 6 were employed +90 days.

Basic Needs: For the families that come through the doors of the Dream Center, hunger is never far from their minds as they face the reality of food shortage daily. Our hope is that families don't have to face that reality alone. Through the food pantry and hot meals served weekly, families can have peace of mind that they will be nourished. Pre-COVID we served food to 110 families weekly . During the last 12 months of the fiscal year, we served 350 families bi-weekly During the Thanksgiving holiday, 1,500 Thanksgiving Boxes, filled with food to provide a complete Thanksgiving meal, were distributed to families in Pontiac. We served our community with 850 backpacks, dinner for 300 families at our Neighborhood Block Party and provided emergency assistance for over 100+ people.