5,000 VOLUNTEERS TO PARTICIPATE IN LIFE REMODELED’S 2023 SIX DAY PROJECT
5,000 volunteers to participate in Life Remodeled’s 2023 Six Day Project
Cleanup and Improvement Work Primarily Focuses on Westside Detroit Neighborhood Near
Former Cooley High School Oct. 2-7
DETROIT – (October 2, 2023) – Life Remodeled, the Detroit-based nonprofit organization focused on repurposing vacant school buildings into one-stop hubs of opportunity for entire families to thrive, will convene 5,000 volunteers, primarily in the neighborhood surrounding the former Cooley High School on Detroit’s westside, for the organization’s annual Six Day Project October 2nd through 7th.
Each afternoon, Detroit residents alongside volunteers from businesses, churches and other community groups will focus on removing blight on vacant properties and blessing the homes of seniors, residents with disabilities and veterans by cutting their grass, trimming edges, and removing weeds of at least 500 neighborhood homes.
The 2023 Six Day Project primarily focuses on a two square-mile area south of Puritan Avenue, east of Greenfield Road, west of Wyoming Road and North of Grand River Avenue and Jeffries Service Drive. Some volunteer groups will also work on similar projects in the city’s Denby neighborhood, on the eastside, where Life Remodeled announced plans in July to repurpose its second opportunity hub in a former school building.
Life Remodeled announced plans to purchase and transform the vacant Cooley High School building and property in November 2021. The school, built in 1928, has been unused since it closed in 2010. The proposed project was declined by the Detroit Public Schools Community District Board in March 2023.
“We appreciate the support of so many business and community group volunteers from across Metro Detroit as we celebrate our relationships with neighborhoods who want to benefit from our hubs of opportunity,” said Chris Lambert, CEO and founder of Life Remodeled. “We are happy to be back one more time in the great Cooley neighborhood. We had hoped to create a permanent hub here and will always value the trust that residents have shown in Life Remodeled.”
The 2023 Six Day Project is presented by Amazon, which contributed $100,000 toward Life Remodeled’s mission, in addition to 150 volunteers. “There is no better partner when it comes to wellness and neighborhood revitalization, and Amazon is excited to be partnering with them as the presenting sponsor of the Six Day Project and providing hundreds of volunteers who will be investing their time this week beautifying the Cooley neighborhood,” said Ian Conyers, Amazon Head of Community Engagement.
Since 2014, the Six Day Project has included more than 77,000 volunteers working on more than 2,000 city blocks in Detroit. These are the fifth and sixth communities to benefit from this work. Other 2023 major corporate support comes from Cummins, General Motors, Masco Corporation, and L&L Products.
About Life Remodeled
There’s a lot of talk but not enough walk when it comes to revitalizing Detroit neighborhoods. Detroiters have all the talent they need, but many don’t have access to all the opportunities they deserve. Therefore, Life Remodeled repurposes vacant school buildings into one stop hubs of opportunity for entire families to thrive. LR fills these iconic buildings with the best and brightest nonprofit organizations who are providing youth programs, workforce development, and human services to tens of thousands of students and community members. LR helps their nonprofit tenants collaborate and create far greater life transformation together than was previously possible alone. Together, they ensure more:
- Detroit students perform at/above grade level in math and reading
- Families have access to essential health and wellness services
- Community members obtain higher paying jobs and achieve economic self-sufficiency
To learn more about Life Remodeled’s Durfee Innovation Society and other programs, visit www.liferemodeled.org.
