2023–2025 Mission Grant #31
Breaking Generational Poverty in Detroit
Camp Restore Detroit, MI — $58,988.62 (partial)
About This Mission Grant
Camp Restore Detroit has been called to be a partner in breaking the cycle of generational poverty in Detroit by working with families and community leaders in a Christ-centered atmosphere, where families can learn and grow with access to education and needed resources.
Camp Restore Detroit fills the Children’s Outreach House, Adult Outreach House, and the land surrounding it with programs and ministry aimed at sharing God’s love as they work together to restore hope, support health and wellness, raise the educational levels of children and adults, and support vocational skill building in a Christ-centered environment.
This grant will fund furnishings for both houses, tools for learning including Bibles, SMARTboards, and computers. Additionally, a Maker’s Space and a Storybook Learning and Reading Garden for community members and their children will be created.
So many relationships are formed through the work of Camp Restore Detroit. Two little boys, one from the community and the other, a Lutheran from a different city, worshipping together. One is teaching the other about the use of the LCMS hymnal and enthusiastically sharing the love of Jesus with one another.
More Mission Grant Photos
Working together with community leaders, students from the local community, a Concordia Ann Arbor intern, and Camp Restore Detroit staff at a training to learn about Camp Restore Detroit's Asset Based Community Development model. Asset Based means that Camp Restore Detroit does not decide what the community needs, instead the ministry works to follow the lead of the community to identify and determine goals and dreams.
Camp Restore Detroit recognizes that relationships formed with the community are even more important than projects. Relationships open the door for sharing Christ and His love for everyone. Here a volunteer team realized a young lady did not have any plans to celebrate her birthday. The team decided to celebrate her with an impromptu party making her go from feeling forgotten to loved.
This is the new Children's Ministry Center that was renovated with funds from a grant Camp Restore Detroit received at the 2019 LWML Convention in Mobile. Camp Restore Detroit says, "We praise our Father daily for the kindness shown to our ministry and the new space dedicated to children in our community. Residents are so excited that gatherings, ministry, and programming will begin soon."
Completed in October of 2022, the inside of the Children's Ministry House is ready for use. Camp Restore Detroit says, "The pandemic slowed down progress of completion, but we are excited that with God's help we were able to finish the Children's Ministry Center even with the continued rising prices of construction materials. This house shines like a beacon amid poverty. It gives hope to our community members, knowing God is at work as we take steps to end generational poverty."
This picture was taken during a community barbeque which Camp Restore Detroit sponsors weekly over the summer. On the left is Grace, the Camp Director who leads volunteers that come to serve the community. In the middle is George, a community leader who works hard as a Block Club President and on the board of Camp Restore. He also coordinates all the projects Camp Restore Detroit volunteers do in the community. On the right is Jackie, another Block Club President and Camp Restore volunteer.
This picture shows the joy that is shared with community members. Here Camp Restore Detroit's Executive Director, Amy Fanta, just lost a game of Chutes and Ladders. It was a very competitive game, and the loss was obviously difficult. :)
Seeing joy on this young child's face is just one example of the ways Camp Restore Detroit is sharing the joy and love of Christ with children of God in the 9th Precinct of Detroit.
