June 16, 2020

Friends,

Suffice it to say, for starters, that:

• We hope you and your families are doing well and we congratulate the recent high school and college (and elementary and middle school) graduating class of 2020.

• It is fundamental to the mission, vision and values of Summer in the City that black lives matter; above and beyond the work we do empowering young people to volunteer, we support social, economic and political change to uproot centuries of institutionalized racism.

• Equitable health and safety for Metro Detroiters is our priority as we continue to navigate the possibilities for our 19th summer.

Here are the updates for Summer 2020:

• We will offer volunteer opportunities this summer and will take an iterative approach to developing projects based on public health guidelines, input from community partners and feedback from volunteer families.

• We will not provide transportation or coordinate carpool sites. Volunteers and parents may opt to share driving, depending on your comfort level.

• For each project, we will determine the maximum number of slots available and open sign-up to registered volunteers. (While we will still send out periodic newsletters, our primary communication will be with registered volunteers and their families.)

Registration is open. A few closing thoughts:

• Summer in the City is a "do-ocracy." If you have ideas for, say, virtual volunteering, and you're motivated to help pursue them, we'd love to hear from you.

• I'm happy to hear from you, as well, if your teen is interested in volunteering but you have concerns about health/safety. That said, if you are more comfortable cheering us on from a distance and keeping us in mind for next year, that would be fine. 

• Even if you are unable to volunteer this summer, you can absolutely support the organization — and, in particular, the young people we are working creatively to engage — by making a donation.

Thank you,

Ben Falik
248-790-1000