Ravendale
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The Ravendale Community is located in northeast Detroit near City Airport. Its boundaries are Gratiot on the north, East Outer Drive Boulevard on the east, Conner Avenue on the west and Harper/I-94 on the south. A Veterans and Senior Village has been developed for this economically challenged neighborhood. The Veterans and Senior Village Project is an initiative that is a joint venture between the Joy JEM CDC and Love N Kindness CDC, in cooperation with the residents and community leaderahip. The Ravendale community has experienced the same blighting trends and economic depression that most, if not all, Detroit neighborhoods have endured.. During the last twenty years , the Ravendale received great leadership from the late Rev. Eddie Edwards, who received recognition for his work from President George H Bush, Sr.
Kurk Edwards of Joy JEM CDC decided to partner with the Love N Kindness CDC, founded by Zachary Hicks, Pastor of Faith Clinic Church of God in Christ. The CDC founders want to restore the vision and continue the community work pioneered by their Dad, Eddie Edwards.
Currently, the homes in the Ravendale community are primarily occupied by senior citizens who are “aging in place”. These senior residents would welcome the opportunity to stay in their neighborhood, where they have developed relationships and reared families. There were numerous vacant and abandoned houses. They required an assessment to determine a schedule of strategic demolitions and rehabilitations. Certain dilapidated multi-purpose buildings near the Church were demolished to clear the way for development opportunities. An existing vacant elementary school building has great development potential.
The Church is operating as a transitional shelters for single homeless male veterans, with and without children. The shelters have the capacity to house 25 male veterans and 42 homeless men and women with children. The Church is also developing a transitional shelter that will house single women and women with children. The Love N Kindness and Joy JEM CDCs worked with the Faith Clinic Church as an anchor institution and anchor location for the initial Development Projects.
