Community Connection
Neighborhood
Impact Program is
overwhelmingly
successful
By Loretta Humphrey-Cruz
The scam-weary public has little pa-
tience for what may seem like yet an-
other Deal of the Century. Especially
for people in need of assistance, the
sneaking suspicion that almost anyone
may become a consumer turned victim
has become more pervasive. And the
last thing they need is to have an un-
scrupulous company lying in wait to
take advantage of them.
This wary attitude, rightfully de-
veloped as a defense against the un-
scrupulous, has made it a challenge
for companies and organizations with
the means and desire to assist those
who need it most. Notwithstanding this
Brenda Massey
defensive posture, we rose to the chal-
lenge to assist homeowners in need.
tenance on their homes. One Detroit
In the May 13, 2009 edition of the
couple that visited Ms. Massey to pick
Michigan FrontPage, Fifth Third Bank
up a check for roof replacement ex-
ran an advertorial about its Neighbor-
pressed their gratitude for the program
hood Impact Program. The Neighbor-
and indicated that until now, they had
hood Impact Program, or NIP, offered
had difficulty in finding a program that
grants at a 4-to-1 match in funds to
they were eligible for. They learned
Metro Detroit residents for the purpose
about the program at a presentation
of repairing their homes. The grant was
hosted by Next Detroit Neighborhood
for eligible low-to-moderate income in-
Initiative.
dividuals and families in owner-occu-
Ms. Massey met with the Calvary
pied homes in need of repair and pro-
United Methodist Church Community
vides the funds to help to make those
Association in the Grand River/Green-
repairs a reality.
field area in Detroit to discuss the pro-
The response was overwhelming,
gram. The neighborhood, mature and
notwithstanding the apprehension of a
stable for decades, was beginning
few, to sign up for a deal that seemed
to show signs of decline and neglect.
“too good to be true.” By the third day
With the assistance of the Next Detroit
after publication of the article in the
Neighborhood Initiative, neighborhood
Fifth Third Community Connections
residents were provided information
section, the bank received more than
about grants and programs that were
700 calls inquiring about the program
available to assist residents with re-
and requests for applications. Be-
sources for needed home mainte-
cause of a solid reputation of being a
nance.
good corporate citizen that does good
We are happy to be able to bring the
in the community, we were able to
Fifth Third Bank Neighborhood Impact
assist many homeowners and push
Program that helps to fill a much-
past the suspicions of a few skeptical
needed gap. The neighborhood is be-
callers and we were able to provide
ginning to show signs of revitalization
the needed resources to assist them.
and is starting to stabilize again thanks
However, there were still a few hom-
to other organizations such as The
eowners who, while responding to the
Skillman Foundation and Next Detroit
article, were too uneasy to provide the
Neighborhood Initiative as well.
information needed to determine their
eligibility for the funds.
While the funds have been fully sub-
scribed, Ms. Massey is overjoyed with
Although all of the program’s funds
the impact that the program has made
have now been committed, Barbara
in that neighborhood and across Metro
Massey disbursed more than $240,000
Detroit. She realizes though, that for
in grant monies to families that have
as much as Fifth Third Bank has done,
been struggling to find the resources
there is so much more to be done. She
needed for necessary repair and main-
says she is up for the challenge.
The Michigan FrontPage • July 10, 2009 9
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