Volunteers Bring Help, Hope To Detroit Neighborhoods

DETROIT (WWJ) - Rain or shine, a tenacious group of volunteers has mowed the grass on nearly 100 abandoned properties on Detroit's east side since May.

On Friday, Team 313 wraps up this year's "Block by Block" mowing program.

Founder Felicia Andrews said residents have joined in on the projects as volunteers moved around the city.

She told WWJ Newsradio 950's Marie Osborne that, when they started, they had no idea the mowing would continue for 26 weeks. "But with each week we could just see more hope, more progress, more beauty and we just couldn't stop."

Andrews said the group wanted to do something that would improve the neighborhoods, so they concentrated their efforts on an area near I-94 and Chalmers.

Andrews��said residents are now helping the volunteers to clean up their own streets.

"We hope it has restored their sense of normalcy, if you will," said."We hope that ... it shows them how they're supposed to live, and we hope that this is something that becomes an expectation for them and something that they will work to maintain."

Learn more about Team 313 at this link.