About Us
What We Do
Mission Statement: With an emphasis on socioeconomically disadvantaged youth and families, the Ann Arbor Community Center, Inc. (AACC) is a vital community resource that provides high-quality programs, information, and services to citizens in need.
To us, the above statement means we don’t just give someone a coat, but find out WHY they did not have one and address the root of the problem so that next year they do not have that same issue. Don’t just hand them a bag of food, but help them develop the skill or the desire to get into position where they can buy their own!
Since 2007 we have been moving to a model that truly honors the old adage “don’t just give a person a fish but TEACH that person to fish!” This, we believe, is what helps!
- Since 2007 we have helped over 20,000 people.
- In the last 2 years we have addressed the specific needs of over 1100 school-age children at 12 schools.
Our current model includes home visits through our Family Mentorship program, where we are actually assisting and assessing. One of our social workers will help develop a plan that may include bankers, attorneys, a psychologist, or even a hauling company to rid a family of the clutter that is preventing a more rewarding lifestyle.
We do not have food distribution lines anymore. We do, however, have an emergency food pantry in connection with our partner Food Gatherers and we make emergency food appointments for immediate needs. From that contact we seek additional help for our clients.
We now schedule appointments for our clients and learn even more about their actual needs, not just their immediate needs.
Why
We went to this model because week after week, year after year, we saw many of the same people. We watched them get older and more frustrated. We understood that they needed more than a bag of food or a summertime day camp. We wanted life to improve for them.
Current Leadership
Rev. Yolanda Whiten
President | CEO
Reverend Whiten was hired as director of the Ann Arbor Community Center in 2007 to help the newly elected board of directors bring the Center back from the brink of closure. She is the president/CEO, and she is deeply committed to the mission of the Center and has worked tirelessly to bring new programs and renew long-standing programs.
Reverend Whiten brings experience in community outreach, collaborative research, emergency services, programs for youth, finance, and senior support services.
She has a strong background in social services. Through her tireless efforts she has brought vital programming to the Center that includes awareness of domestic violence, health initiatives, and diabetes education.
She continues to expand AACC programs and is continually forming partnerships to bring new programs to the Center, such as education about credit worthiness, improving credit, home purchase readiness, and how to grow wealth.
Reverend Whiten is an ordained itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
She has been a member of the Ann Arbor Rotary Club since 2014, proudly sponsored by the late Scott Westerman. She serves on the Membership Committee, Anti-Racist Committee, and Program Committee, always doing service above self.
The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners recently named Reverend Whiten to the Washtenaw County Food Policy Council Board for a term through 12/31/22.
Other community involvement:
Faculty, Fourth year Studies, Michigan Conference AME Church Board of Examiners
Member, Livingston Diversity Council
Member, Clergy Cabinet for Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Reverend Whiten and volunteers from the “Be Sickle Smart” Blood Drive
Board of Directors
Robert D. Brown
Derek Fracalossi
Marvin R. Perry
E. Ruth Jordan
Mike Murphy
Gbenga Olumolade
Paul Ajegba
Mathieu Davis
Building Partnerships Within the Community
The AACC provides emergency services, educational and tutoring programs, as well as recreational, social, and cultural activities for people of all ages. Our board of directors and staff have worked to revise organizational policies and develop a strategic plan to ensure existence and relevance for generations to come. Our programming includes initiatives for grade school math enrichment, domestic violence abuse prevention, and women’s health. In 2010 the AACC undertook a diabetes study with the University of Michigan, and Reverend Whiten served as co-investigator. In 2012 The Diabetes Educator published the study. In April of 2014 the Ann Arbor Community Center was presented with a resolution honoring the Center for ninety-one years of service. The resolution said in part that “Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners hereby honors and expresses its sincere appreciation and deepest respect to The Ann Arbor Community Center for continuing to achieve its mission.” The Ann Arbor Community Center continues to cultivate new and existing community partnerships.
- The Center partnered with Bethel AME Church in Ann Arbor in 2017 to bring Thanksgiving dinner to needy families. The AACC supplied the turkeys and the church brought the fixings and 105 families were served!!
- We help young African American men go to college through our partnership with the Southeast Michigan Omega Foundation Inc.
- We are bringing school supplies and snacks to area schools for children in need through our newest initiative, Always Available Care Closets.
- Reverend Whiten serves on the Blue Ribbon Advisory Board to the Superintendent of Ann Arbor Public Schools.
Mayor of Ann Arbor presenting award to Reverend Whiten
Helping young African American men go to college with Southeast Michigan Omega Foundation Inc.
We Appreciate the Generous Support of:
