“Detroit Shows the Way: Why Kinston Must Invest in Its People”

Detroit and Kinston may be separated by hundreds of miles, but they share a common challenge: poverty, limited youth opportunities, and the need for community renewal. Detroit has found a powerful answer in the SAY Detroit program, and it’s time for Kinston to pay attention.

🎓 SAY Detroit: A Proven Model

Founded in 2006 by author and broadcaster Mitch Albom, SAY Detroit began as a grassroots effort to help the city’s homeless and vulnerable residents. Its name — Super. All. Year. — reflects its mission to provide support beyond temporary fixes.

Today, SAY Detroit is a comprehensive nonprofit network that:

• Educates and Empowers Youth: The SAY Detroit Play Center offers tutoring, athletics, robotics, music, and arts, while scholarships and mentorship programs guide students toward higher education and careers.

• Provides Healthcare: The SAY Detroit Family Health Clinic delivers free medical care to uninsured and underinsured patients.

• Supports Families with Housing: Through Working Homes / Working Families, the program provides housing for working families in need.

• Mobilizes Volunteers: A Time to Help organizes community service projects, while the annual Radiothon raises millions to sustain programs.

  
  

This November, SAY Detroit celebrated the completion of a $5 million pledge from the Michigan Masonic Charitable Foundation, funding a decade of youth programming and mentorship. That milestone proved what long-term investment and community vision can achieve.

📊 Why Kinston Needs to Take Note

Kinston faces challenges that mirror Detroit’s past:

• High Poverty Rate: Roughly 24% of residents live below the poverty line, nearly double the national average.

• Low Median Income: At about $33,000, household earnings lag far behind the state median.

• Limited Youth Opportunities: Many young people lack access to structured mentorship, safe recreation, and career guidance.

  
  

Detroit’s model shows that strategic partnerships, sustained funding, and community-driven leadership can transform outcomes. If Kinston were to adopt a similar approach, it could:

• Create safe, structured spaces for youth development.

• Attract long-term philanthropic investment.

• Build programs that address both immediate needs (food, shelter) and long-term goals (education, careers).

  
  

💬 Voices of Inspiration

Detroit leaders describe SAY Detroit as “a promise fulfilled.” Kinston’s leaders could echo that sentiment by building a program that invests in its youth and families. As one Detroit mentor put it: “This isn’t just about money. It’s about futures that might otherwise be overlooked.”

✍️ Closing Reflection

Detroit’s SAY program proves that community renewal is possible when vision meets commitment. For Kinston, the path forward is obvious: invest in people, create opportunities, and build a legacy of resilience. The time to act is now.