SITC Stats
| First Year: | 2009 |
| Favorite T-Shirt: | Purple |
| School: | Wayne State University |
| Paint, Plant or Play? | Paint |
| Detroit in One Word: | Inspiring |
| Favorite Spot in the D: | People Mover |
| Top Coney: | Lafayette’s |
| Playing You in the SITC Movie: | Denzel Washington |
| SITC Hero: | The Orange Van |
Not everybody understands why I choose to spend my summers working in the hot sun for no paycheck – most people think I’m crazy. They tell me to get a real job, maybe an internship where I sit behind a desk and wear a skirt and file papers. I prefer Summer in the City because I get to make a difference every single day. There is no better feeling than when a big group of us are painting a mural somewhere in the city and someone who lives or works in that area pulls up and thanks us for doing what we do – or picks up a paint brush. Through Summer in the City, I really learned to love Detroit for both what it is and what it can be one day.
In fact, after a couple of summers in Detroit, I decided I didn’t want to leave when the new school year rolled around. I enjoyed my time at Central Michigan, but Mt. Pleasant didn’t inspire me the way Detroit does. I’m in my first year at Wayne State and I love the campus and having the city as my classroom.
Ilene’s SITC Pics!
I had the chance to volunteer at GSCC over my spring break this year, and it was amazing seeing how passionate Mark is about his community and this community center. He is so grateful for all the help he gets, and it’s important to me to see GSCC flourish and expand, and hopefully inspire other people to start similar places in other neighborhoods in Detroit.
www.georgiastreetcc.com
Donate Online or send your donation to SITC and support Ilene:
Summer in the City
1655 Clark Street
Detroit, MI 48209
What Ilene Digs in Detroit:
Detroit Moxie
