Executive Director Bonnie Billups of Peace Neighborhood Center, located at 1111 North Maple Road in Ann Arbor, announced that the organization will open a “Peace HUB Community Resource Center” in Ypsilanti Township in early February.
According to Billups, the 8,000-square-foot building and 2.1-acre property for the Peace Hub was gifted by Zion Lutheran Church — formerly Saint Mark’s Lutheran Church — which closed in 2022 due to a declining congregation. The facility has undergone over $2 million in renovations, funded in by a $700,000 grant from the State of Michigan and a $1 million gift from MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving and other donors.
The “HUB” in Community Resource Center stands for “Healing Unifying Building” for the community.
Peace Neighborhood’s main facility on North Maple Road in Ann Arbor has existed since 1971, according to Billups.
“Our main mission and purpose is to provide programs and services that help people address social and economic obstacles that are in their way so they can move toward self-sufficiency — they can thrive and have self-determination,” Billups said. “I think if we’re always talking about families defining and becoming great, kids defining and becoming great. Help to remove obstacles and help to be a supporter and cheerleader along that path.”
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Billups estimates that Peace Neighborhood helps approximately 6,000 people each year through various programs and support services. These include after-school and summer youth programs for elementary and middle school, college and career prep for high school, family enrichment wellness programs, and other community-building initiatives and services.
Billups noted that the organization’s Wellness Program helps youth and families across four main pillars: mental health, emotional health, spiritual health and physical health.
“So our Wellness Program activities center around those (four pillars),” Billups said. “So it could be individual or family counseling. It can be a yoga class. It can be our ‘Mom to Mom’ Support group that meets bi-weekly. It could be our ‘Wellness Wednesday,’ where people participate in some kind of fitness activities…Remember, we’re talking about moving the needle, not just for kids, but for parents and families who are involved in our core programs.”
In addition, many people who seek help from Peace Neighborhood are in need of basic essentials and emergency assistance.
“We serve a tremendous amount of people who live in 48198 and 48197 zip codes,” Billups said. “And that’s one reason why we are excited to open up the Ypsi site, because 70% of the phone calls that we get for emergency assistance, for eviction prevention or car repairs come from those two zip codes. I need food for my family. My water is getting ready to get shut off. I need bus tokens…”
Billups explained that Washtenaw County’s two lowest-income ZIP codes, 48197 and 48198, generate the most calls, so the new HUB will provide better access to services and community resources in Ypsilanti.
“When they call us for emergency assistance now we’ll be able to offer greater wrap-around support, “Hey we have a youth program that you can connect your kids to Communiy Family Life Center or Educate Youth” Billups said. “Or, hey, we have a community meal that happens here every week, at the HUB.”
Weekly community meals, a large food pantry and community gardens are all being planned as well. Because transportation can be a barrier for many people, Billups said the Ypsilanti HUB will help eliminate that obstacle.
“A lot of times transportation or other things can be a hindrance to providing services, or other connections for them,” Billups said. “We’re trying to alleviate that by starting to open the HUB serving people closer to where they live and partnering with organizations who already serve Ypsi residents and can provide services and resources on certain days at the HUB.”
Peace Neighborhood is also partnering with Michigan Works workforce development programs and other non-profits, like Food Gatherers, Habitat for Humanity and others to provide services for local residents.
“Michigan Works will be at our building once or twice a week at designated times,” Billups said. “So instead of people having to drive all the way out to Stone School to fill out paperwork or do things, they’ll be able to come into the HUB and meet with somebody at Michigan Works at our center.”
Michigan Works! Association is currently located at 1201 Ellsworth Road, near Stone School Road.
In addition to its main facility at 1111 North Maple Road, Peace Neighborhood Center operates Wellness Centers at the main site and three public housing communities: West Arbor at 717 North Maple Road, Maple Meadows at 880 South Maple Road and Baker Commons at 106 Packard. The new Peace HUB Community Resource Center is located at 1515 South Harris Road in Ypsi Township, east of Ford Lake, designed to serve surrounding neighborhoods of Gault Village, Sugarbrook and West Willow.
Donna Marie Iadipaolo is a writer, journalist, and State of Michigan certified teacher, since 1990. She has written for national publications like The Village Voice, Ear Magazine of New Music, Insurance & Technology, and TheStreet.
She is now writing locally for many publications, including Current Magazine, Ann Arbor Family, and the Ann Arbor Independent. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she graduated with an honors bachelor’s degree and three teacher certificate majors: mathematics, social sciences, English. She also earned three graduate degrees in Master of Science, Master of Arts, and Education Specialist Degree.
