As salamu alaykum Dear DREAM Supporter and Friend,
I hope this note finds you in a state of good health and high spirits as the year winds down.
I’m reaching out to express my gratitude for your ongoing support, after what has been an incredibly inspiring year.
We set out 2018 with a vision to really cement our work in the areas of housing and community organizing. As a result, we’ve welcomed eight new neighbors to the area, and joined in two incredible coalitions to keep people in their homes and build safer communities. Then, on course with our long-term vision to see thriving businesses in the neighborhood, we graduated our 35th entrepreneur program student and brought out 1,800 people to our August Street Fair. And so much of that work has been done through the direction and the development of our volunteer leaders, with all sorts of support from folks like you.
One of my favorite events earlier this year was our “Building a Prophetic Hood” conversation with Imam Zaid Shakir. As Imam Zaid closed, he said, “And that’s how I see the Dream of Detroit–the fulfillment of a big dream of a lot of people, the fulfillment of the duas of a lot of people with many histories and many different roots.”
Truly, our work has brought together an inspiring array of people, rooted in shared values, respecting of rich histories, and committed to an empowered future. I consider it a blessing to be in this work every day.
As the new year rolls out, I’ll be excited to share with you our plans for the next 12, 18, and 24 months. Plans that are ambitious but achievable, and will take our efforts to an entirely new level, with the continued work and donations and prayers of this community that we’re building together.
Peace and blessings,
Mark Crain
Project Director
Dream of Detroit
P.S. If you want to see Imam Zaid’s full closing remarks from our event in March, click here:
