Noah at Central

We're thrilled to be participating in the Rocket Community Challenge! This exciting competition offers us a chance to secure vital matching funds from Rocket Companies. Throughout the challenge, we’ll compete for grand prizes by raising the most funds and tackling mini challenges. Your support is crucial in helping us make the most of this opportunity. Thank you for considering a donation to help us compete and amplify our impact in our mission to end homelessness in Detroit!

At Noah at Central, we walk alongside individuals experiencing homelessness on their journey towards safety, stability, and permanent housing. We are a consistent relationship, a source of support, and a catalyst for change in the fight against homelessness in Detroit. Together, with the support of our dedicated staff, volunteers, and community partners, we are working towards a future where everyone has a place a place to call home. Below are a few spotlights that demonstrate the resilience of our clients and the impact of the journeys we're walking alongside them. 

Eddie's Journey Home 

Our Street Outreach team met Eddie shortly after an abandoned church he was living in was demolished. At first, Eddie was most interested in the goods offered by the Street Outreach team to meet his immediate needs. He was grateful for bag lunches, hygiene kits, and blankets, and eventually enjoyed getting to know the team, building relationships - chatting “about life”.

Since their first meeting, the Street Outreach team had invited Eddie to participate in case management services, which he continuously declined. Later, Eddie shared that his hesitancy to engage stemmed from believing that not having reliable transportation would be an insurmountable barrier in that process.

When these fears were eased, through additional conversations and consistency over four months, they began working with Eddie from where he was: the corner of Michigan Avenue and Weir Street in Southwest Detroit.

The team first assisted him in the weeks-long, arduous and complicated process of recovering his social security card and State ID. Once his documentation was obtained, they progressed into the housing process together in earnest. 

Four months later, case managers matched Eddie with a Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Program designed to assist individuals grappling with behavioral health and substance abuse disorders. This program ensures that, while residing in his new fully furnished apartment, Eddie will have access to a comprehensive array of services, including substance abuse counseling, behavioral health counseling, a variety of group therapies, and continued case management. 

The relationships Eddie built with the Noah at Central Street Outreach team through consistency and compassion gave him confidence to invest in his own case management process. In our recent conversations, it’s evident he’s proud to be building new relationships with an extended network of specialized service providers he’s met through his PSH program. We’re grateful to have been the point of connection that continues to influence his relationship-based strategy of navigating healing! 

Patty's Path to Progress

A grandmother of four, Patty has been a Detroit resident as long as she can remember. Her parents moved here from Alabama as part of the Great Migration to provide their family with additional opportunities. Patty shares that her parents instilled in her a compassionate spirit – “if you can help people, you always should”, says Patty. When Patty was evicted from her home last year, she was dismayed to learn that the systems meant to support individuals facing difficulties didn’t share that same compassion. 

Patty was referred to Noah at Central by other clients while she was staying at a bus station downtown. According to Patty, she heard Noah was “a place with good people who find out how to help you”. Since connecting with us, Patty has bonded with her case manager, who has walked side-by-side with her through the complex process of reclaiming vital personal documents like her birth certificate, social security card, and state ID. These are not just pieces of paper, but keys that open the door to the possibility of securing permanent housing. To facilitate this process, Patty, and all Noah case management clients, are invited to use the community center as their mailing address.

Empowerment is a collaborative effort at Noah. Patty now visits apartment complexes to collect applications, which she brings back to our community center. "I know staff will make time to help me fill them out," says Patty. Moreover, Patty extends this support to her peers by distributing extra application forms while visiting the community center for lunch. 

Patty's story is a powerful reminder of the impact of support. At Noah, we don't simply offer assistance; we journey alongside our clients, building lasting relationships that foster independence and self-empowerment, one individual at a time.