Last year, our team members were active in the West Willow neighborhood in Ypsilanti, giving back to the community. Together, with New West Willow Neighborhood Association (NWWNA) and Habitat for Humanity Huron Valley, we were able to make an impact:
- Four dumpsters filled with 93 loads of garbage from West Willow residents’ homes
- Cleaned the West Willow Community Center inside and out, planted flowers around the facility and established a Little Free Library – a public bookcase that allows community members to donate or exchange books for all to enjoy.
- Hosted more than 300 people at the Farmers Market kick-off and Community Open House joint event.
During the Farmers Market, DTE team members gave attendees spending coupons that could be redeemed with one of the onsite vendors or food trucks. The Community Open House helped to spread awareness about Habitat for Humanity and even featured a kid’s craft station.
Volunteerism is a priority at DTE, and Larysa Blysniuk, DTE senior strategist, has spent a portion of her time giving back to the West Willow neighborhood.
“I have a deep admiration and love for New West Willow Neighborhood Association that dates back to 2015 when I was part of an organization doing consulting in the neighborhood,” said Larysa. “Since then, I have been back to do volunteer work in the community garden and even started new projects in my time at DTE. NWWNA shows up, builds partnerships and gets things done. I can’t wait to see what NWWNA accomplishes in the next five years.”
Our partnerships open opportunities for change and our team members’ dedication to giving back allows us to further support the communities where we live and serve. Through the joint work last year, our teams:
- Sent 79 volunteers to support the organization’s needs
- Volunteered more than 350 hours in the West Willow community
- Personally impacted nearly 500 community members
Check out some highlights of last year’s work:
