Habitat for Humanity Rocks the Block in Southfield

SOUTHFIELD — “I’m trying not to cry,” Eugenia Ballard said as a team of four Habitat for Humanity volunteers from Aptiv, an automotive supplier, got to work in her yard April 25.

“This is not about me,” she said. “This is about bringing light to Habitat. When I talked to one of the people, he was like, ‘Well, this is your moment to shine.’ I said, ‘No, this is your moment to shine. People really need to know what you do, the sacrifices you guys make, and if I can contribute anything that’s gonna help with your funding so that people really understand what you do and don’t take it for granted, I’m all in.’ It’s not about me; it’s about Habitat. I’m just blessed by Habitat and what they do and what they’ve done over the long haul.”

Ballard usually tends to her yard herself, but after falling off a ladder a year ago, she wasn’t able to do some of the work that she used to do. She joked, “I did it to myself this time. And when you turn 60, you don’t bounce back as quick.”

Ballard’s home is one of seven homes between Nine Mile and Lahser roads that Habitat for Humanity volunteers visited for revitalization efforts April 25 and 26 for the Annual Rock the Block event in Southfield.

Rock the Block has taken place in Southfield every year since 2016 and aims to enhance the neighborhood by lending a helping hand to residents by way of yard cleanup, which includes leaf removal (front and backyard), trash removal, limited branch trimming, hedge trimming, lawn mowing and edging.

Mayor Ken Siver explained that the Rock the Block partnership with Habitat came because he was “nosy.”

“They were building this house in the neighborhood on a vacant lot,” he said. “And it was a very unusual house. Then I saw that Habitat was closing. So, it wasn’t a contractor. And then I saw that the houses had an unusual roofline. So I was nosy. I went over and introduced myself. One thing led to another, and Habitat had this program, I think, originally it was called The Big Sweep, which then became Rock the Block.”

Siver said that Southfield’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity Oakland County began around nine years ago, when a Women Build event was happening. “We’re very appreciative, because we have an aging community and a number of people that their home is their wealth. That’s their biggest investment. And consequently, I want them to age in place. But as people get older, it’s harder and harder, especially to do yard work and minor repairs, whether it’s taking care of gutters or fixing a fence or porch. So this is just typical of the Habitat motto, it’s a hand up, not a handout, and helping people to stay in their homes.”

Southfield also has city-led programs, such as the Chore program, which has been helping senior adults age in place and maintain their homes since 1983, and The Big Rake, which the mayor’s office organizes to help seniors or disabled residents with lawn maintenance in the fall.

Less than a week after Rock the Block, Habitat Oakland held its first home dedication of the year in Southfield May 1 for a three-bedroom, three-bathroom home with a two-car garage on Westover Avenue, which was built in the fall as part of the Global Build initiative in partnership with Bank of America. The initiative aims to support affordable housing and revitalization efforts in communities across the globe.

For more information on Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County, visit www.habitatoakland.org.

For more information on the Chore program and The Big Rake, visit www.cityofsouthfield.com.