Building Communities

Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley Home Improvement Program Manager Claire Simpson; Field Construction Superintendent Stevenell Clark; Director of Grants, Corporate, and Faith Giving Leah Tessman; House Leader Peter Shineman; Volunteer Leader Wendy Correll; and House Leader Noeal Johnson at a new Habitat build at 740 Dorset Ave. in Ypsilanti Township.

Habitat for Humanity events aim to beautify and clean up Ypsi Township neighborhoods

Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley is combining its clean-up and beautification events in Ypsilanti Township into a large-scale neighborhood initiative called Rock the Block.

Latest in Building Communities
A sign in the window of Book Love Bar in Ypsilanti.
As ICE comes to Ypsi, residents organize to protect neighbors and prevent misconduct

Community advocates are urging residents to organize, prepare, and support one another as enforcement actions become more visible and more aggressive.

The first Michigan Restorative Justice Summit takes place at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti.
Michigan’s first statewide restorative justice summit debuts in Ypsi

More than 200 people attended the first statewide Michigan Restorative Justice Summit Oct. 30-31 at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti.

Exceptional Journeys founder Zee Kennedy, at right, interacts with visitors at her nonprofit's Ann Arbor community center.
Ann Arbor nonprofit serving adults with special needs plans expansion due to high demand

Exceptional Journeys provides a variety of services for people with special needs, and the nonprofit has plans to expand.

An apartment at the Residences at Huron.
New affordable senior housing development in Ypsi seeks to “cultivate a whole new community”

The Residences at Huron, an affordable senior housing development, recently opened at 945 W. Clark Rd. in Ypsilanti.

A diverse group of young people reads together.
Youth of diverse backgrounds find many ways to connect to community in Washtenaw County

Student writer Amira Ben-Abid looks into the ways she and other students of diverse backgrounds have found community in Washtenaw County.

The inaugural meeting of the Ypsi Fine Arts Club.
Ypsilanti Fine Arts Club celebrates 2 years of supportive community for local artists

Since May 2023, Ypsilanti’s Riverside Arts Center has hosted the Ypsilanti Fine Arts Club, providing a space for local artists and art appreciators to connect and share their work on the first and third Wednesday of each month. 

A Walk With Friends group prepares to set out on a two-mile walk around Ypsilanti on June 21, 2025.
“Walk With Friends” group promotes exercise and social connection with weekly 2-mile walks in Ypsi

Washtenaw Optimal Wellness has partnered with Ypsilanti Marketing and Print Company and the Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority to bring a new, free walking group to Ypsi residents this summer.

Juneteenth celebrations in Ypsilanti.
Juneteenth in Ypsi grows into a weekend of activism, music, and faith, featuring gospel star

Ypsilanti's annual Juneteenth celebration will run a full weekend this year, including a day of action, a sickle cell anemia awareness walk, and a performance by a Grammy-winning artist.

Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation Vice President for Community Investment Christopher Lemon, CFO Jamie Hunter, President and CEO Shannon Polk, and Impact Investing Manager Frances Todoro-Hargreaves.
Community foundation’s impact investing takes chances on unconventional Washtenaw County projects

From micro-lending to expanding child care openings, the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation's Impact Investing program has spent the past four years supporting Washtenaw County community projects that otherwise wouldn't have been funded.

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