OCTOBER 3, 2025 MAKING CHANGE GROUNDCOVER NEWS Michigan Movement students use Project Connect to serve homeless people in Ann Arbor On Saturday, Sept. 20, a group from the student organization known as Michigan Movement came to Mercy House, a house of hospitality inspired by Dorothy Day of the Catholic Worker Movement, which provides for the homeless community. As they have in the past, Michigan Movement used the concept of “Project Connect” to distribute clothing, food and essential care packages to homeless people. Michigan Movement works with other student organizations to host Project Connect where the homeless can pick up clothes, food, and “MIM Kits” with essentials such as toothbrushes, hats, gloves, and Narcan. The Mercy House 2025 visit was successful, with both students and the homeless happy with the interaction. In 2016, two bright-eyed 18 year-old freshmen participated at the Poverty Solutions Workshops held by the School of Public Policy and School of Business. They engaged in more conversations with other attendees, and made a prudent decision. They created a student organization and said that the mission for their prospective project would be to help improve the lives of the poor and the homeless of Ann Arbor. Those college freshmen were Payton Watt of Ann Arbor and Hussain Ali of Milwaukee. My chance meeting with them during the 2015-2016 academic year has become a gift that keeps on giving. The students’ eagerness and curiosity resulted in their introduction to Mercy House, Robert J. Delonis Center, Groundcover News office and Purple House homeless community center. What is Project Connect? In 2019, Michigan Movement decided to use a program introduced WILL SHAKESPEARE Groundcover vendor No. 258 in the early 1990s in Toledo, Ohio, as a model. They liked the integrated and collaborative idea very much. Below is a summary of the program provided by the co-founders: “Michigan Movement (MIM) is a student-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded and based at the University of Michigan. We were born out of urgency; as students living in Ann Arbor — America’s most educated yet eighth most economically segregated city — MIM began as our means of redressing the disproportionate rates of chronic homelessness in our community. Our mission is to aid individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Washtenaw County, promoting dignity, health and catalyze community engagement along the way. “To realize this mission, we apply a holistic approach that includes providing basic necessities, education and employment services, and social advocacy and community engagement. Our most significant event each year is Project Connect, during which students create and distribute 150 MIM kits (care packages) consisting of food, clothing and hygiene supplies. With a focus on collaboration and innovation, we have expanded our Project Connect resources to include medical services like vaccines, blood pressure and 11 Michigan Movement brought Project Connect to Mercy House's weekly pancake breakfast. Photo submitted. cholesterol screenings, vital document accessibility, as well as preventative dental exams and haircuts. “To achieve this, we have enlisted the help of our local core partner organizations such as Mercy House and the Delonis Center. We have also forged new relationships across the public and private sectors, with partners ranging from Infinity Salon to the University’s Dental School. Through the addition of music and a free meal, Project Connect brings in a larger population of the community and fosters relationships where students and members of the community can interact. The strong relationships we develop will… allow us to better understand the needs of our community, and work to end stigmas and stereotypes associated with homelessness.” Toledo’s Tent City homeless connection Toledo is an industrial and auto The Sun Bundle, another U-M student organization, redistributes athletic shoes to people experiencing homelessness. The Sun Bundle partnered with MIM during Project Connect. manufacturing town. It is also an educational and healthcare center. In December 1991, the economic base was still facing the ravages of the economic crisis and community abandonment of the 1980s. A group of about 50 homeless individuals and family members decided to build a homeless encampment in an abandoned downtown mall. It was called the Portside Marketplace Encampment. Initially, the city government wanted to remove the homeless from the underground tunnel and walkways of the abandoned mall. However, after a homeless woman was struck by a city-owned salt truck, the city changed its mind. The tragic death of that homeless woman near the mall made newsworthy headlines in Ohio and across the nation. The idea of a “Tent City" which connects homeless people with services and programs came into fruition. When homelessness became a bigger problem in subsequent years, communities that want to do a better job of helping the homeless adopted the model. Ken Leslie, a former homeless man and founder of 1Matters, helped to shape the concept of this homeless solution. It is an innovative and comprehensive approach. Services delivered include the following: • Medical, dental and vision services • Food, clothing and hygiene products • Assistance in obtaining official documents such as birth certificates and state IDs • Job assistance and other services to help people transition out of homelessness. The spring of 2026 will mark the 10th anniversary of Michigan Movement’s founding. For Mercy House, Project Connect and other services from Michigan Movement have meant that the relationship has been great. The current co-presidents, Raffael and Sophia, do not see their time commitment as a sacrifice. Co-vice president and future president Sophie said, “We love coming here to help the community and see the smiles on the faces of people who receive care packages.” The U-M Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning should be pleased by the fine work of the Michigan Movement accomplishments. Former MIM president Lindsay Calka is now the publisher and managing director of Groundcover News. Over a dozen of the MIM students have gone on to medical schools; one of see CONNECT page 12
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