Harriet lost everything to addiction and believed no one cared if she lived or died . . . but this Easter, Harriet’s heart is filled with HOPE!
“I was 10 years old when my mother introduced me to alcohol, and I was 20 years old when my sister introduced me to crack,” Harriet says. “I would be fine until things didn’t go the way I wanted them to go, then I would end up drinking and drugging again.”
Harriet can’t wait to get back to work. “I’ve driven snowplows and dump trucks, garbage trucks, buses,” she says. “I am a good worker. So, once I get done with this program at DRMM, I may be able to go back to driving. I’m praying everything works out.”
But the most important thing to Harriet is her family. “I lost relationships with my kids. We would start to mend, but I would go back to drinking, and that would destroy everything all over again. The last thing they want their mom to do is to go back to drinking, end up homeless . . . back in the same place I was.”
Support from many caring friends makes possible all that DRMM is able to do each day for our neighbors who are hungry, hurting, and experiencing homelessness. Prayers, financial gifts, and the gift of time and talent as a volunteer are all critical and deeply appreciated!
The Michigan Green Industry Association (MGIA) selected DRMM’s Veteran Housing as the recipient for its Day of Service.
MGIA members gathered to donate their time, equipment, and expertise to beautify the grounds at 211 Glendale. After cleaning flower beds, fertilizing, mowing, raking, hardscaping, tree trimming, tree injection, mulching, and planting, they installed a place for residents to enjoy horseshoes. They also added a fire pit, vegetable garden, apple trees, warming lamps, bird feeders, a walking path, and a new grill in the courtyard of the building!
Veteran residents were deeply touched by the new flag the volunteers brought, which was raised during a flag ceremony led by the Renaissance High School ROTC to honor veterans in attendance. Glenda McDonald, Mayor of Highland Park, also joined in the celebration.
In total, the plant material, landscape supplies, labor, equipment, and monetary donations to complete this task totaled an in-kind donation of over $100,000. A very special thank you to Robert Bywalec and Steve Udell of MGIA for their partnership and unwavering support of DRMM.
The Michigan Green Industry Association (MGIA) is a statewide professional trade association serving the green industry for over 60 years. MGIA promotes education and certification to its members and has set high standards of professionalism and business integrity for Michigan’s green industry contractors.
YOU CAN SHARE HOPE AS A VOLUNTEER, TOO!
DRMM runs on volunteers, and more help is needed to serve meals to hundreds of families and individuals each day throughout the Easter season! To sign up to volunteer, or for more information, please contact Kisha Woods at kwoods@drmm.org or call 313.993.4700, x3930. You can also sign up at: drmm.org/volunteer.
Today, something extraordinary happened at Genesis House II, one of Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries’ shelters. A homeless woman, with nowhere else to turn, found safety under our roof—and in an unexpected turn of events, she gave birth right here at the shelter.
It all happened so suddenly. She went into labor, and though EMS was called immediately, they couldn’t arrive in time. But God’s grace was at work, and so were our heroic staff members, who didn’t hesitate for a second. With incredible courage, they helped bring a new life into the world, ensuring that both mother and baby were safe and cared for. When EMS finally arrived, the miracle had already happened—the baby had been delivered successfully, and both mother and child were in good condition.
This moment speaks volumes about our Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries staff’s dedication, compassion, and training. Their ability to respond in a crisis, commitment to serving the most vulnerable, and unwavering love for those in need made all the difference.
But this story is more than just a testament to our team—it sheds light on the harsh reality of homelessness. What if this mother had nowhere to go? What if DRMM didn’t exist? No woman should ever have to bring a child into the world on the streets—no newborn should start life without the warmth of shelter, the embrace of safety, or the hope of a future.
This is why Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries exists. We fight daily to provide shelter, dignity, love, and hope because every person matters—every mother, child, and soul in need.
Today, we celebrate a new life, a new beginning. And we recommit ourselves to being the hands and feet of service in this city.
Join us in making a difference. Because without DRMM, stories like this could have ended in heartbreak. But with your support, they end in miracles.
The Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries has stepped in to provide a home for a young mother who tragically lost her two children to hypothermia while facing homelessness.
We extend our deepest gratitude to DRMM leadership for preparing this home with fresh paint, new furniture, appliances, and food to support her healing journey.
Our COO, Dr. Barbara Willis, prayed over the home and the family, asking for comfort and renewal.
We are honored to partner with the City of Detroit to be a beacon of hope for those in need.
DRMM offers warming centers for men, women, and children that will provide additional help from traditional shelters, including overnight shelter, two meals, showers, sleeping accommodations, and housing assistance services to residents experiencing homelessness.
AVAILABLE 24/7!
For more assistance, call CAM (Coordinated Access Model) at 313-305-0311 or the Detroit’s Housing Services Helpline at 866-313-2520 for help.
Additional warming centers and respite locations across Detroit are open during the Code Blue ordinance to provide shelter from the cold, including two overnight respite locations operating through Tuesday. February 18th.
They are Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries at 13130 Woodward Avenue, which is open now through Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 11 a.m. and The Pope Francis Center at 2915 W. Hancock will open Sunday at 6 p.m. through Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 11 a.m.
After the tragic news story broke about the mom and her 5 kids who slept in their van overnight in a casino parking, and 2 of the kids freezing to death, local media called DRMM to get a response and also resources for those who may be experiencing homelessness.
Investigators believe a mother and five children were inside a van at the parking garage for the Hollywood Casino in Detroit.
Around 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, the mother noticed that her 9-year-old son wasn’t breathing, police said.
The mother called a friend, who took the child and the mother to Children’s Hospital, according to authorities.
While those three were at the hospital, the children’s grandmother called and said another one of the kids — a 2-year-old girl — had also stopped breathing, police said.
The friend returned to the van, and the girl was also taken to the hospital.
Police said both children were pronounced dead at the hospital. It is believed they froze to death.
“I feel sad, very sad, especially as a father,” Detroit police Capt. Nathan Duda said. “I just can’t imagine what the family is feeling. I wish it hadn’t happened.”
Circumstances surrounding deaths
At this point, investigators believe the mother drove the van into the parking garage around 1 a.m. Monday and went up to the ninth floor.
At some point in the morning, the van ran out of gas. Temperatures dropped into the teens that night.
Police said they think the family was living in the van and called the two deaths “preventable.”
“I know that they had an address on the east side in an apartment complex, but her, the mother, and the other family member that ended up conveying the children — they said that they were unsheltered,” Duda said. “They didn’t have a residence to go to.”
What happened to mother, other 3 children?
The three surviving children were taken to the hospital for evaluation and treatment. They were born in 2011, 2016, and 2020, according to authorities.
Police said those children are expected to be OK.
Children’s Protective Services is involved.
The mother sat down to speak with detectives, they said. She has not been arrested, but officers said they haven’t yet ruled out the possibility of charges.
“I don’t think anyone really wants to think about that at the moment, with the two children passing,” Duda said. “But the reality is that the circumstances do have to be examined. We have to figure out how to go forward.”
Resources available
With police believing that the family was living in the van, they wanted to remind everyone that there are resources available for anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation.
“There’s actually respite centers or relief centers all across the city,” Duda said. “There are so many resources available, and these resources will keep families together. The children and the mother may stay in the same spot, in the same building. That way, the family is maintained. It’s kept whole. They have each other for support. This was unnecessary. It didn’t have to happen this way.
“I would just ask that people be aware of those that are in need. If you see somebody who appears unsheltered and it’s sub-zero or cold weather, please call 911. We’ll come. We’ll help.
“We’ll show up with all the right people to be able to offer resources to transport, to feed, to clothe, to give that person shelter. We do care. That’s a call we would like to get.”
“That story really kind of affected me, too, because at one point in time, I was the mom sleeping in the car with her children, and it kind of hurt me because at any point in time, it could have been one of my children being in that situation,” said Charlisa Williams, a mother of five children.
Williams said she found the home her family needed at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries’ women’s shelter.
“It’s just very important that people understand that you don’t have to be outside,” said Chiara Clayton, of Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries.
“There’s nothing wrong with asking people for help,” Williams said.
Both Williams and Clayton want anyone who needs help to know that it’s always available.
“We don’t turn people away,” Clayton said. “So even if there’s a situation where there isn’t a city ordinance, if someone comes to one of our shelters and needs services, we’re going to help them.”
The Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries is considering a partnership with different places where people might stay to live out of their vehicles. They’ll talk to employees and attendants at those places so that helpful information can be relayed to people who need it.
If you ever find yourself without shelter during cold temperatures, you can call the Detroit Housing Assistance Hotline at 866-313-2520.
Derick is the Digital Executive Producer for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.
