ABOUT BONNIE BILLUPS:
A life-long resident of Ann Arbor, Bonnie Billups, Jr. has spent most of his life and career at Peace Neighborhood Center helping young people and families overcome extraordinary challenges that stem from generational poverty and social and economic inequality.
Bonnie first attended Peace’s Summer Camp as a young teenager and got his first job at Peace at the age of 15. Over the last 33 years, he has served the agency in a number of roles, including the agency’s Executive Director since 2006. Under Bonnie’s leadership, Peace Neighborhood Center has grown exponentially, expanding its programming and services to support youth and families across Washtenaw County.
Most recently, Peace has invested over $2.5 million in developing a new Peace HUB Community Resource Center at 1515 South Harris Road in Ypsilanti Township―a full service multi-use community center that will serve residents who live in an underserved and underinvested corner of Washtenaw County. Peace is partnering with a number of local community agencies who already serve Ypsilanti residents― to be able to provide an interconnected range of programs/services and equitable access to community resources for low-income residents where they live. The new Peace HUB is expected to open to the public at the end of January 2025.
As a respected community leader, Bonnie has received countless accolades and brings a credible voice and perspective on what it takes to help people break generational cycles of poverty. In addition to his role at Peace, he lends his expertise to a number of local nonprofits, boards, and community groups including: the Ann Arbor Independent Community Police Oversight Commission, Washtenaw Alliance for Children and Youth, Girls Group, My Brother’s Keeper, and A Brighter Way
RESOURCES:
Peace Neighborhood Center on Facebook
Peace Neighborhood Center on X (Twitter)
Peace Neighborhood Center on Instagram
TRANSCRIPTION:
David Fair: This is 89 one WEMU, and welcome to the last edition of Washtenaw United of the year. Washtenaw United is our weekly exploration of equity and opportunity in our community. And what a year of shows 2024 has been! I'm David Fair, and I'm glad to have you along today as we're going to top off the year with another fascinating conversation. Among the entities whose mission it is to enhance equity and opportunity is the Peace Neighborhood Center in Washtenaw County. For over 50 years, it has worked to help young people and families overcome the challenges that stem from generational poverty and social and economic inequality. That work is expanding further into eastern Washtenaw County in 2025. Here to fill us in is Bonnie Billups. Bonnie serves as executive director of Peace Neighborhood Center. And welcome back to WEMU, Bonnie! And an early Happy New Year to you!
Bonnie Billups: Happy New Year to you early also, Dave! And I'm excited to be a part of the last of the series!
David Fair: And it is the kickoff to what will be another new year of great programs. But as we reflect on 2024, Bonnie, do you think Washtenaw County will make gains when it comes to creating greater equity and opportunity in the community?
Bonnie Billups: I really feel that the community has, and I think the biggest issue has been more awareness of the disparities across the county. I think Ann Arbor, of course, is the economic center of Washtenaw County. And I think people are more aware of the needs throughout the rural parts and other urban parts of the county. And for us to all flourish, we need to address those issues and those inequities in other parts of the county.
David Fair: Washtenaw County is among the most economically segregated communities anywhere in the country. And do you see that taking a toll on the young people and families that live on the lower end of the income chart?
Bonnie Billups: I do. Ann Arbor--well, Washtenaw County, not Ann Arbor--Washtenaw County is so segregated economically. But visually, it doesn't look like some other areas that might be really economically segregated if you look at some larger cities and larger areas. There are great pockets of poverty in this county, not just in 48197/198, the Ypsi zip codes, but in rural parts and within the City of Ann Arbor itself. I mean, where Peace Neighborhood center sits on our main building on Maple Road, a quarter mile one way are people who are living on public assistance and whose total income might be way below the poverty gap of maybe $30 or $40,000 a year for a family of five. And then, the other direction are families who live in households that are worth over $1 million. And those kids are all going to the same schools. Those kids are having some of the same experiences. But economically, we know that the enrichment activities or other things that kids need or families need to help them prosper are different because the economics are different in those families.
David Fair: So, because the impacts are multifaceted and because we all deal with hardship or trauma in different ways, how do you go about influencing systemic change while providing individualized service?
Bonnie Billups: Yeah, it's about being consistent. One of the things you mentioned, I think, Peace been here for over 50 years. Our consistency in the lives of young people and their families helps people move toward self-sufficiency, toward greatness and toward their own power. And that's based in the programs and services that we provide. But the support that we provide, the cheerleading that we think that we have to provide, all of those things over a period of time, at Peace, we use this all the time, saying the Peace is a family. That family support is what helps to move people toward that greatness and that change--economically, socially, emotionally, all of those things.
David Fair: WEMU's Washtenaw United conversation continues with Peace Neighborhood Center Executive Director Bonnie Billups. A lot of the calls for help and service that the Peace Neighborhood Center receives come from the greater Ypsilanti area. And in 2025, Bonnie, the Peace Neighborhood Center is going to open a new Peace HUB in Ypsilanti Township. What has been the reaction on the east side of the county to getting a bricks-and-mortar HUB?
Bonnie Billups: For us, it's been exciting. And for those who live in 48197/198, I think it's very exciting and we've been very welcomed. We wanted it to be respectful of all the smaller and larger nonprofits who are already doing on-the-ground work in 48197/198 zip codes. About 70% of the families who call to us for emergency assistance--emergency food, emergency eviction prevention, car repairs, any of those kind of things--are 48197/198. So, it's exciting for us to actually have a brick-and-mortar place. The model is different because at Peace, our main center, most of the programs are provided by Peace Neighborhood Center. We're excited that the model of this coalition of what we call the HUB coalition of nonprofits will work together and will wrap around and provide those same kind of services that we provided at Peace, but utilizing all these other organizations who are involved. So, we're excited about our nine other partners, some of them who will provide programs within the building, some of them who will have their own places, but then, collectively, we will work together to build a network to support families.
David Fair: It is anticipated the HUB will formally open at the end of January or so. When a person then walks in the door once it's open, what can they expect?
Bonnie Billups: Wow! Great question because while we've worked over the last couple of years, really designing not only the HUB's building itself, but working over the last year with these other nine organizations--Food Gatherers, Friends In Deed, Our Community Reads, Mentor2Youth, Educate Youth, 2 Marines and others--to put together a plan and a way that we could build resources for families, the name of the program is the Peace HUB Community Resource Center. So, it's a place where people will be able to come and say, "Hey, I need help gathering and getting food for my family," or "I need help with housing." And one of our partners with Habitat for Humanity, who does a tremendous amount of work in that area of helping people maintain and stay in their housing, along with providing new housing for families who are moving into places. The ability for us to have all of those resources connected into one spot and to be a bridge, as opposed to "Well, I don't know who can help you," you'll get an answer. If we don't have an answer, we'll find an answer at the HUB.
David Fair: Once again, we're talking with Bonnie Billups on 89 one WEMU's Washtenaw United. He serves as executive director of the Peace Neighborhood Center. One of the hardest things, whether it's therapy, shelter or addiction, is to help people when they don't want to help themselves. It seems to me that success can only come when people want help, are ready to accept that help, and are dedicated to helping themselves. How do you utilize patience and persistence in helping people get to that place?
Bonnie Billups: That is a great question! And in social work or when you're working with people in human services, the biggest common denominator of their success is them. We provide access. We provide the path. But the work has to be done by the person who is in need, and we're all aware of that. But it also has to be that organizations like Peace are respectful and serve people with dignity. It's hard to come to a place and ask for food or for assistance, and it's extremely hard to do that if you go to a place where people don't serve you with dignity. The first part of this is making sure, in a dignified and respectful way, that we reach out to the people who are coming through our doors, so that they feel that respect, they feel that love, they feel that belief, and they feel that we are here to assist them, to address and help them overcome. But as I said, the other part of this equation is that that person has to be willing to want to do the work and to make whatever that change is.
David Fair: Well, once again, you've noted that there have been some gains made in Washtenaw County when it comes to equity and opportunity. A lot of work still to be done. And the Peace HUB Community Resource Center will open at the end of January or so. What are you most optimistic and hopeful about for 2025?
Bonnie Billups: I'm optimistic and hopeful that we will all make our circles bigger and better. When I say our circles, the people who we come in contact with every day and the people who we experience life with every day that we will work at those circles becoming more humane, more complete, more loving, more understanding, and that those circles will be able to listen to the differences and be able to share. And I see that happening in Washtenaw County. I see that happening with the people who I come in contact with. And I'm hopeful that the people who I come in contact with and work that their circles--their other parts of their circles--will be affected and will make great change, not only here in Washtenaw County, but in the state, across the nation and worldwide change.
David Fair: Well, I think we can all get on board with that. Thank you so much for spending time and sharing the news of the New Peace HUB Community Resource Center, Bonnie! I appreciate it!
Bonnie Billups: Dave, I appreciate you and appreciate you giving us this time to talk about the HUB and wish only the best for you and all the listeners!
David Fair: That is Bonnie Billups. He is executive director of the Peace Neighborhood Center and our guest on the final edition of Washtenaw United for 2024. For more information on the new HUB and the work being done by Peace Neighborhood Center, just stop by our website when you get a chance and we'll get you all linked up to everywhere you need to go. Go to wemu.org. Washtenaw United is presented in partnership with the United Way of Southeast Michigan, and you hear it every Monday. I'm David Fair, and this is your community NPR station, 89 one WEMU FM Ypsilanti.
WEMU has partnered with the United Way for Southeastern Michigan to explore the people, organizations, and institutions creating opportunity and equity in our area. And, as part of this ongoing series, you’ll also hear from the people benefiting and growing from the investments being made in the areas of our community where there are gaps in available services. It is a community voice. It is 'Washtenaw United.'


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