By: Andy Kozlowski | Madison-Park News | Published December 14, 2023
MADISON HEIGHTS — Earlier this year, the city of Madison Heights announced a program recognizing exceptional volunteers with its At Your Service Awards. The 2023 winners were revealed at the Nov. 27 City Council meeting.
They include Dianna Lutz, named Volunteer of the Year; Michael and Martha Covert, recipients of the Outstanding Neighbor Award; Kevin and Keleila Wright, with the Madison Heights Spirit Award; and Joe and Rafid Jarbo, with the Business of the Year Award.
Business of the Year
The Jarbo brothers own Amori’s Market, 26122 John R Road. Joe Jarbo began working there fresh out of Lamphere High School in 1986, and acquired the store with his brother, Rafid, in 1998.
Upon becoming owners, they immediately set about making improvements to the building. About 10 years later, they also acquired the building across the street, which they transformed into We All Scream for Ice Cream. Earlier this summer, they sold that business to a friend, who turned it into Frosty Scoop.
Mayor Roslyn Grafstein said that the Jarbo brothers were honored with the award not only because of the reputation Amori’s Market has as an inviting place, but also because of the efforts Joe and Rafid have made to improve Madison Heights.
Joe said that he and his brother are deeply humbled by the award but emphasized that they don’t do anything for recognition.
“We grew up here in Madison Heights, my brother and I,” Joe said. “We’re both products of the Lamphere Schools and we’re both knee-deep involved in the city, especially here on the south end, even though we were raised on the north end.”
Joe currently serves on the boards of both the Madison Heights Community Coalition and the Madison Heights Downtown Development Authority. Some years ago, Rafid helped teach English at John Page Middle School and coach track at Lamphere High School. They have also been involved in the local Madison Heights/Hazel Park Chamber of Commerce.
“We try to donate as much time as we can,” Joe said. “As far as donations, we try to help anyone who comes through our door. We do love Madison Heights. I think of us as ambassadors for Madison Heights because this is a great, great city that has given us so much back. Our business is our livelihood, but it’s not about the money. It’s about giving back to a city that has given us so much.”
The Spirit Award
Grafstein said that the Spirit Award recognizes individuals or groups that are constantly promoting Madison Heights and often behind efforts to improve the city. Kevin and Keleila Wright were nominated as a team. They are the founders of the nonprofit Madison Heights Citizens United, and currently run the annual Juneteenth Celebration commemorating the date several years after the Civil War when the last slaves in Texas were freed.
This year saw the third annual Juneteenth Celebration in Madison Heights. The new tradition started under the Human Relations & Equity Commission, on which Kevin served. Last year, it was co-hosted by the HREC and the MHCU, and this year it was run entirely by the MHCU.
“Our goal is to promote racial reconciliation,” Kevin said. “We started (MHCU) a few years ago, shortly after the murder of George Floyd. I made a Facebook post saying I was going to stand out by City Hall on 13 Mile holding a sign saying, ‘George Floyd did not need to die,’ and I would also be holding an American flag. My wife and I expected we’d be the only two people out there, but the post got shared and we ended up with about 200 people in a peaceful demonstration. And that was the beginning of it — a very grassroots thing.”
The interest generated by that event led to people approaching the Wrights asking for more. They replied that the focus would remain on peaceful demonstrations — “not anti-police” — and that it was about supporting the family of George Floyd. A week later, a second event was held at City Hall, and it drew several hundred people, this time under the MHCU name. The Wrights knew they were onto something, and since then have organized many other events, including a town hall on race, educational presentations about the history of the civil rights movement and an ice cream social in the summer to help neighbors meet each other.
“We really took the impact we made in those first few demonstrations and moved it forward, putting our words into action,” Kevin said.
The most recent Juneteenth Celebration drew about 2,000 people. The Wrights feel that it doesn’t compete with the Fourth of July, which it precedes by a couple weeks. Rather, it completes it.
“They’re both about freedom,” Kevin said.
He said that he and his wife were pleasantly surprised to learn they had received the award.
“We’re honored and humbled that our work has had an impact in our community,” Kevin said. “I’ve lived in Madison Heights for awhile, and it’s great to see the community embracing Juneteenth and our outreach.”
Outstanding Neighbor Award
Michael and Martha Covert received the Outstanding Neighbor Award. Both have been involved in the city for years, with Michael on the Arts Board — now its chairman — and Martha with both the Crime Commission and Madison Heights Women’s Club, part of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs.
“It’s an amazing, amazing group of ladies,” Martha said of the Women’s Club. “Karen Barnes and Laurie Geralds are actually who got me interested in joining the club, and I’ve learned so much from them. Even at my age, these ladies are teaching me things, constantly. It’s a nice feeling to be able to help people around our city and state, everywhere the money reaches. This is probably the best thing I’ve ever done, and I wish I would’ve done it sooner.”
She recommends that any women looking to make a difference shouldn’t hesitate to join.
“At first I wasn’t sure about doing it, but they’re so open to everybody, and they really help you to feel comfortable,” Martha said. “You can call them, and they will talk to you. They are always there for support.”
She said she was drawn to the Crime Commission because of her background in the law as a retired legal clerk who once worked for a judge in Madison Heights. She said the current commission is trying to attract more police officers to the city, and to improve relations between the police and the public they serve. The commission has organized efforts such as the Bike Rodeo, a family-friendly event that gives residents a chance to mingle with police.
“We want to bring the community in so each side can see each other, meet each other, talk to each other and mix. The kids have a great time at the Bike Rodeo, and it helps them to not be afraid of the police,” Martha said. “With Madison Heights, our community has always stuck with our men and women (at the Police Department), knowing that not all police officers are bad.”
She said she’s also proud of her husband Michael’s work on the Arts Board. He was drawn to the group in 2020 when he attended the first annual Trail Tunes, an outdoor music festival that was created by the Arts Board as a way to have socially distanced fun amid the pandemic.
“Michael is very artsy, into music,” Martha said. “I have got to give (Mayor Pro Tem) Mark Bliss credit for coming up with it. Trail Tunes saved some sanity in the city during COVID. People realized, yes, we’ll get through this. And now people also say, ‘Did you see the outdoor murals? Did you see the paintings at City Hall?’ The appreciation for art has gone up in general, thanks to the Arts Board.”
Volunteer of the Year
Dianna Lutz, the city’s overall Volunteer of the Year, recently resigned from the Food Pantry and declined to be interviewed for this story. But Kathy Anderson, another volunteer at the pantry, spoke to the many contributions Lutz made.
“Dianna was my partner for a year and a half. She started making individual boxes for people with conditions such as diabetes and celiac disease. She was always available to do porch pickups, and she had a pickup truck for transporting large loads. She truly loved working outside on Saturdays to meet the people — she’s a real people person,” Anderson said. “She just cares about everybody.”
The pantry first opened in the utility building at Huffman Park in April 2020. Today, the pantry operates out of borrowed space at Central Church, located at 1529 E. 12 Mile Road, where it relocated in January 2021.
Distribution days are typically the first and third Saturday of each month, 10:30 a.m. to noon, with adjustments to avoid holiday weekends. Anyone in need is eligible for help, no questions asked — all are welcome to take home a box of food.
During distributions, recipients stay in their cars, filling out a simple form provided to them that indicates the needs of their household. Volunteers then place the boxes in the back of the vehicles.
Volunteers ask that recipients be patient during the process. Preregistration is not necessary, although during the holidays, there are special distributions only available for those who do.
For those who are homebound in Madison Heights, the pantry also arranges home deliveries on the Tuesdays following regular distribution days.
Donations are picked up at bins around the city and span all types of nonperishable food, along with toiletry items, household cleaning products, pet food, adult diapers, baby diapers and sometimes baby food.
“We still have large numbers of people in need,” Anderson said. “On some weeks, we’ll see 130 people on a Saturday, and then another 20 who don’t have transportation the Tuesday after, so we’re still feeding about 150 people every other week. I’ve been helping there since May 2020 and it just continually ebbs and flows, with people coming from all over: Hazel Park, Oak Park, Warren, Sterling Heights and more. They come, and we’re not Gleaners or Forgotten Harvest with a bankroll, but we ask for financial support and we’ve been very lucky receiving gift cards from the ‘Simply Give’ program at Meijer. It’s the Meijer at 13 Mile in Madison Heights — you buy a gift card there for $10, and they give us $20 in return. It really helps.”
More information about the Madison Heights Food Pantry is available on Facebook at facebook.com/madisonheightsfoodpantry. There is also an Amazon wish list with needed supplies, and volunteer opportunities.