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Our Kids Come First/Nuestros Ninos Son Primero

Our Kids Come First/Nuestros Ninos Son Primero is an organization of parents that fights for safe streets and parks, full employment, affordable transportation and good schools.Over the past year, Our Kids Come First has won the demolition of dangerous houses near schools, improved school facilities, increased police patrols, and improved school traffic safety. We have chapters in early learning, elementary and middle schools in Detroit, with more on the way!

Read about their latest Got Teachers campaign here.

 

 

Vision

We envision Southwest Detroit as a vibrant community where multiple cultures, races, and ethnic groups coexist and thrive together.  Our streets are free of crime, are safe, and are clean.  Local businesses and organizations prosper in our community and there are an abundance of employment opportunities for adults and teens.  There is adequate, affordable, and reliable public transportation for both parents and students.  There are well equipped, safe, and clean parks with many recreation opportunities for adults and children of all ages.

Our students’ literacy rate is 100%.  Our schools are both excellent and at the center of our community.  School staff work collaboratively with parents to ensure that children succeed in school.  There is high parental and community involvement in our schools, giving rise to mentorship opportunities for our students.  There are strong partnerships between our schools and universities, community agencies, and the business community.  All students are prepared to enter college, the vocational school of their choice, and the wider world of work.

In this community, all residents have the ability to affect their own destiny.  A new sense of civic pride and community participation has taken hold.  Voting has increased dramatically.  The relationship between schools, community agencies, the business community, and government officials is not just strong but revolutionary.  Southwest Detroiters compel elected and appointed officials to be responsive to the needs of their community.  Their voices speak in unison in confronting the dangers of their community, their petitions to government are heard and acted upon, and their lives are made freer through the force of collective action.

Southwest Detroit is the new model for the nation of a community that works.

Results

  • In 2010 the Roberto Clemente's Our Kids Come First Chapter had 26 stray dogs picked up by the Detroit Department of Animal Control and Care.
  • After presenting a list of 30 abandoned houses to the Director of Building and Safety Engineering at the City of Detroit on March 18, 2010 only 5 remain standing bringing the total number of demolished building to 45 for the year.
  • Successfully pressured the Michigan Department of Human Services to provide more bilingual translators in their Fort Street office.
  • Phoenix Elementary's OKCF Chapter successfully convinced the City of Detroit to change the traffic pattern around the school and install a stop sign at an intersection to increase safety for the students.
  • Logan Elementary School's OKCF Chapter had 2 drug houses near the school investigated and prosecuted by police.
  • Maybury's OKCF Chapter worked with City Council President Charles Pugh to send special clean-up crews to pick-up all the refuse collected by volunteers during their neighborhood clean-up.
  • Beard Elementary's OKCF Chapter successfully worked to increase a police presence at the start and end of the school day to deter gang related activity and increase safety for the students.
  • Roberto Clemente's OKCF Chapter made the district apportion funds to fix the air conditioning, security cameras, and buzzer at the school.