Maxwell, Tamia to help Detroit tackle homelessness with shows at The Aretha

Two major R&B acts performing in Detroit this weekend are part of an effort to boost resources and recovery services for people without homes across the region.

Friday through Sunday, Detroit’s Neighborhood Service Organization (NSO) will join forces with The Right Productions, the City of Detroit and Michigan-based health plan provider Meridian to present the inaugural Community of Hope weekend.

The event will kick off with a two-day Concert of Hope fundraiser at The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, 2600 Atwater St., July 28 and 29, featuring Grammy-winning R&B singer Maxwell and Grammy nominee Tamia.

The weekend plans are designed to “energize, inspire and deliver community support and engagement solutions to the challenges of unhoused individuals and families in metropolitan Detroit,” the NSO announced in a news release. Proceeds from the performance will go toward addressing homelessness in metro Detroit.

On Sunday, July 30 from 1-5 p.m., a Day of Hope will be held at Cass Park, 2733 2nd Ave., providing access to wraparound resources for people without housing. Programming and resources will include:

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

●      Panel discussion about the current state of homelessness in Detroit; causes and solutions.

●      Connection to housing solutions.

●      Health screenings and vaccinations.

●      Showers and other hygiene resources, including barbers and beauticians.

●      Access to job readiness training and employment resources.

●      Transportation resources.

●      Meal vouchers.

●      Case management counseling.

“We are very mindful of the fact that we are a part of this community,” said Shahida Mausi, president and CEO of The Right Productions, which operates The Aretha. “We do entertainment, but entertainment for us is an integral part of good quality of life — so that means we have to be concerned about our fellow citizens in all walks of life.

“Also,” she said, “the number of artists who have performed at The Aretha who are celebrated around the world but at one time or another in their lives experienced homelessness is quite a long list, so we thought it was important from that perspective as well. The creative community has some special needs, in terms of mental health services and shelter. I’ve known a number of musicians who were great artists, but also had really significant mental health challenges or substance abuse challenges. We’re proud of this community and we want to contribute to the solutions.”

More:'I was really low': Kem's inspiring journey from despair to R&B stardom

NEO president and CEO Linda Little said the idea for the weekend hatched during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In our population, I saw a lot of despair,” she said. “There was so much loss of life that I felt there was something that we could do to inspire hope, so I reached out to The Right Productions to not only inspire hope for the community, but also to raise funds to support housing solutions for the homeless. We have a lot of artists, you know, that suffer from housing insecurity, so the linchpin was that we had some common experience.

“The Day of Hope is wonderful. We’re going to have a lot of needed services for those who are homeless—portable showers, barbers, nail technicians, things to help them feel like a normal human being and restore dignity. We’ll have fresh produce they can take away, housing case management onsite to assist them connecting to housing solutions.”

Little emphasized that homelessness and housing insecurity don’t always look like stereotypes might imply.

“This myth of the homeless population, standing on the corner,” she said. “In Detroit today, there are a lot of people who go to work every day, children who go to school every day, people you find in the grocery store, who suffer from this. We’re really trying to shed light and change the face of homelessness. And if you don’t have a support network, you’re either couch surfing or you’re living in your car, you’re trying to figure it out as best you can.

“We had a housing study done using source data from the U.S. Census Bureau from 2018 through 2020, showing the average housing cost burden. Folks who make less than $20,000 a year spend 87% of their income on housing. $20,000 to $35,000 spend 63%. This tells you how housing insecurity comes to life. And the mayor can’t fix it all by himself. We each have a role to play. It’s all of us.”

Support for Community of Hope can be given by purchasing tickets at thearetha.com. To learn about getting involved through in-kind donations, providing resources, offering an area of expertise or donating equipment, email corporateaffairs@nso-mi.org.

Contact Free Press arts and culture reporter Duante Beddingfield at dbeddingfield@freepress.com.