More than 250 Highland Park residents came together recently for DTE Energy’s Customer Resource Fair and Open House, a first of its kind event that combined two popular community offerings into a single, convenient experience. By bringing together hands on assistance and open conversation under one roof, the event created a true one stop shop for customers looking for answers, resources and support.
Held in the heart of the community – New Grace Missionary Baptist Church – the event connected residents directly with DTE team members for a day of learning, helping and connecting. Customers were able to move from table to table, speak with subject matter experts and get personalized assistance on the energy topics that matter most to them – all without needing to schedule appointments or make multiple trips.
“We want to make sure every citizen in Highland Park has access to dependable power, and it’s very important for our residents to have the support they need. These resources help them pay their bills so they can continue having electricity,” said Highland Park Mayor Glenda McDonald. “Events like this today are really important to our constituents because many are not mobile. When DTE comes to the community, residents see you, have access to you, and can depend on you to talk about their situation and get help. It gives them confidence that DTE cares about them.”
Throughout the day, attendees engaged in meaningful conversations with DTE specialists across a wide range of topics, including electric reliability, local infrastructure investments, tree trimming practices, clean energy initiatives and available assistance programs. The event emphasized open, approachable discussions that made complex topics easier to understand. Complimentary food was also provided by Jackson Five Star Catering.
“Bringing this event to the community and seeing such a strong turnout really shows how important this kind of support is,” said Mark Jones, DTE Community Engagement manager. “Customers came with questions, concerns and a desire to connect, and having so many people engage with our team reinforces the need for spaces where conversations can happen face to face.”
For many customers, the most valuable part of the day was the opportunity to receive one on one support. DTE representatives worked side by side with residents to walk through energy bills step by step, explain charges and usage patterns, and help identify tools and programs designed to make managing energy more affordable. Team members were also on hand to connect customers with energy assistance resources tailored to their individual needs thanks to a variety of partners who were onsite, including United Way for Southeastern Michigan, St. Vincent DePaul, Forgotten Harvest, Michigan Secretary of State and others.
“The demand for energy assistance was clear right away – customers were lined up for help as early as 6:30 in the morning,” said Lovie Wilson, DTE Community Engagement senior program manager. “Being able to meet people where they were, walk them through options and see the relief and gratitude when they found support was incredibly meaningful for our team.”
Customers also had the chance to learn more about ongoing and planned reliability improvements in Highland Park, gaining insight into how investments and maintenance work support the long term resilience of the electric system in their neighborhood.
By combining a Customer Resource Fair with an Open House for the first time, DTE created a more accessible and impactful experience – one that reflected how customers actually want to engage: face to face, on their schedule and focused on their individual needs.
The strong turnout reinforced the importance of bringing resources directly to customers. Events like this help ensure people feel informed, supported and connected – and reflect DTE’s ongoing commitment to listening and serving communities.