As an expression of Christ’s love, FOCUS Detroit exists to bring together Orthodox Christian churches, along with other communities and partners to help children experiencing poverty to succeed in school.
Adam Murphy, Director
Phone: 866-267-3083 x716
Email: JavaScript required to view address
Address: 20501 LIVERNOIS AVE
PO BOX 21115
DETROIT, MI 48221
As an expression of Christ’s love, FOCUS Detroit exists to bring together Orthodox Christian churches, along with other communities and partners to help children experiencing poverty to succeed in school.
Here in Detroit the greatest social justice issue of our time is the education of children living in poverty. Almost 60% of Detroit kids live in poverty and 90.6% of all elementary children attend a high poverty school. Some of the effects of poverty on children are poor academic achievement, under resourced schools, food insecurity, poor nutrition, substandard housing, and lack of access to basic needs. Children cannot benefit from learning if they are hungry, cold, and don’t have their basic needs met. FOCUS provides unique and creative programs that are designed to serve children experiencing poverty. Founded by Eastern Orthodox Christians, we now partner with over 80 schools and over 40 churches, businesses and organizations. All of FOCUS’s services are provided without discrimination of any kind. We do not require any faith commitment or religious affiliation from anyone who volunteers or from anyone we serve.
We value the healing love of Christ for those who receive and those who give. We value serving with humility and compassion. We value “venerating” the human icon that is every person created in the image of God. We value seeing Christ in the poor as our Lord said. We value praying daily for our work, those we serve and ourselves. We value being present with the other person in this isolated, distracted techno-world. We value empowering others and giving a voice to those we serve for identification and solutions of local needs. We value bringing together and uniting, the giver and the under-served, recognizing that we all experience poverty in different ways and all are givers and receivers.
Michael Ansara, (Chair) of Public Storage, Inc.
Leslie Ayoub, (Vice Chair) Director of Sales at Gordon Food Service
Dr. Mark Zervos, Division Head, Infectious Disease at Henry Ford Health System
Paula Kalevas, Food Stylist at PK Styling
Christina Guirguis, Attorney at Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office
David Ayyash, Attorney and Restaurateur
Marika Pehlivanidis, Product Manager at Quicken Loans
Anne Randall, Partner/Attorney at Reiter & Walsh, P.C.
Chrysia Carson, Master Tax Advisor for Block Advisors
Dr. Victoria Tarazi, Hospice Physician at Angela Hospice
Neveen Awad, Partner and Managing Director of Boston Consulting Group
Lena Gionette, Attorney at Varnum Law
Clergy Advisors: Fr. Jim King (Antiochian), Fr. Nick Marcus (GOA), Fr. Dimitrie Vincent (OCA), and Fr. Raphael Riwes (Coptic)
We need volunteers to support our tutoring and coding class for elementary kids in SW Detroit!
THANKSGIVING BASKETS Order laundry baskets from us for your parish/business/group. Hand out baskets with a provided shopping list to be filled and returned to your location with a $10 donation per basket to FOCUS.
ST. NICHOLAS SACKS Order sacks from us for your church/business/group. Participants take a sack, fill with wrapped gifts for enclosed family sheet, and return sack to your location with a $10 donation to FOCUS.
BOOKS FOR KIDS Order small crates from us for your parish/business/group. Hand out crates(with instructions) to be filled with new or used books and returned to your location with a $10 donation per crate to FOCUS.
ANGEL TREE for Hats, Gloves and Scarves: Order tree tag-ornaments from us for your church/business/group with a $100 donation. Hang tags on tree, members take and return with items listed on tag.
BACKPACKS AND BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLIES Order backpacks from us for your parish/business/group. Hand out backpacks with a provided shopping list to be filled and returned to your location with a $10 donation per backpack to FOCUS.
SCHOOL UNIFORM SUPPORT Order color-coded bins from us for your parish/business/group with a $100 donation. Set up bins to be filled with designated colored shirts, pants or footwear.
COATS FOR KIDS Help us provide warm coats for kids who don’t have them.
HYGIENE KITS FOR KIDS Order toiletry bags from us for your parish/business/group. Hand out bags with a provided shopping list to be filled and returned to your location with a $5 donation per bag to FOCUS.
FOCUS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, FEIN: 26-4427803
