Fresh Start

A unique Detroit program rolls out the welcome mat for the homeless

Hour Detroit
December, 2008

By Terry Parris Jr.


Photograph by Dave Krieger

Joyce James rummages in her fanny pack looking for a picture of one of her granddaughters. “I know it’s in here somewhere,” she says, her gray-streaked dark hair offset by the Day-Glo chartreuse vest she wears on the job.

“Ah, here it is,” she says triumphantly. “This is Charlie.” James extracts what looks like a school photo of a young girl with long braids and a smile full of baby teeth. “Isn’t she adorable?” she says, beaming as any grandmother would.

The 60-year-old is all smiles lately, even when she isn’t bragging about her granddaughters.

That wasn’t always so. A year ago, James was homeless and unemployed. And a year before that, she was addicted to drugs. Now, thanks to some homegrown help, James is a full-time employee of Clean Downtown, a beautification initiative. Since the beginning of October, she’s been living in her own place just off Griswold. “Still need some furniture,” she says, with a Cheshire grin. “But I’m happy.”

Then the smile rolls from her face. “You know, I had been using for 18 years. But I had hit my bottom. I couldn’t do it anymore, and I knew I needed a fresh start.”

James’ new beginning started when she enrolled in a 90-day treatment center in Detroit. “I knew I was done with that life,” she says. “I went against the grain for so long, it was time to change.”

After treatment and a short stint in Baton Rouge, La., where she worked two jobs and lived in a Catholic homeless shelter, she returned to her hometown, Detroit. “I left Detroit; I needed a change of scenery, but it just wasn’t right down there,” she says.

It was here that she was connected with a program to which she says she owes much. It’s called 2-1-1 On the Go!, the only one of its kind in the country. Most communities offer the basic 2-1-1 human-services program: People seeking help dial the three numbers and ask for directions to a soup kitchen or shelter, or inquire about employment opportunities. In Detroit, appropriately, that program has been put on wheels — on the go.

A year ago, Cindy Pasky, the high-profile president of Strategic Staffing Solutions, presented 2-1-1 On the Go! as a concept to the Downtown Detroit Partnership board. Soon afterward, Roger Penske signed on, and United Way involved its 2-1-1 referral service. Now Detroit’s pilot program is regarded as a model for other cities.

In Detroit, United Way administers 2-1-1 On the Go!, which has put two Chevy Cobalts on city streets, where, with the help of some pretty high-tech equipment, they offer services to homeless people who are ready, willing, and able to take the next step.

“There are a lot of homeless people out there who just need a little help,” says John Azoni, one of two social workers who operate the 2-1-1 cars. “They’re ready to improve their lives, but have barriers that prohibit that. Things like no transportation, no phone number in case someone called for a job, or no mailing address. We help remove these barriers.”

Azoni says about 18,000 homeless people live on Detroit streets, making the program essential to improving the city. Though 2-1-1 On the Go! is relatively new, it has seen some great successes — James among them.

“Joyce [James] is exactly who we are trying to help,” Azoni says. “Through her own motivation and with our navigation, she improved her life.”

She personifies the 2-1-1 goals. “If it weren’t for them, I’d still be homeless,” she says. “They’re awesome. People tell me that I smile so much now and I say, ‘I even smile in my sleep."

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