Lizzy- Freedom House- Day Five

Today we hosted an arts and crafts day. Though attendance was limited, we all enjoyed our time
creating some art to hang in Freedom House. It felt like a small way to say thanks, and it was nice to be
in the presence of some of the female residents I hadn’t gotten to know as well.

While the residents were in their group therapy session, we were able to visit the Heidelberg Project
downtown. Before the project began, it was simply a few blocks with an exceptionally high crime rate.
However the project aimed to make the area into a community attraction by painting the homes with
polka dots, shoes, and messages. The artist’s idea worked, and since the project began in 2008, crime
has dropped dramatically. We ran into a man who worked for a local news channel, who interviewed
Haven about our experiences in Detroit and her thoughts on the work.

We headed back to Freedom House for an early dinner before their Bridge to Freedom benefit concert.
Reverend N. offered a free bluegrass performance, and many of our Freedom House friends participated in Ugandan or Rwandan dances. Reverend N. was a phenomenal performer and storyteller, and the dance numbers were incredible. I was so impressed with how talented all of the residents are in so many ways: after the concert we even played quick game of Scrabble, and even as the only native
English speaker I got second-to-last place.

The evening ended on a little bit of a sentimental note as we all began to realize we only had one day
left. Some of the residents explained to us that the community room we always hung out in was usually
empty. It seemed hard to believe because of how packed it was with singing, drumming, chatting, and
games it had always been. Though we told ourselves it would be an early night, we didn’t leave until
after 1AM.