Neighbor News
Brighton High seniors serve the city of Detroit
Select Seniors of Brighton High School head to Detroit for a weekend of community service.
From Saturday, October 22nd to Monday, October 14th, sixty-four seniors from Brighton High School went to CASS in Detroit to help out the community. Every year since 2013, a new group of students travel to Detroit to give back. Last year, over 100 seniors served.
CASS is an organization that has has a homeless shelter, recycling center, and more. At the homeless shelter they serve hundreds of families. A lot of the people who work full time in the kitchen are actually ex-cons making a new start for themselves and people who find joy and community in serving others. As one group made tire mats, a CASS employee told them a little bit about the workers there.
“The guys you worked with today they were once homeless. Without [a job working at CASS] they wouldn’t know where they would be.”
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In the recycling center they go out and find old tires and recyclable materials on the streets and re-purpose them as doormats, coasters, shoes, and more. In addition, they have a workout room at the recycling center where using the equipment will create energy.
“We made electricity out of bicycles and I thought it was really cool how we could make energy from an alternative source,” senior Morgan Myers said.
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The seniors from Brighton High School were split into three groups. Those groups either made mats out of recycled tires or shredded paper.Others did yard work, cooked and prepared food in the kitchen for the homeless, or collected tires. Seniors and selected juniors got to experience what life was like for these people and also had the opportunity to go to the church service on Sunday.
“I learned to be grateful to have a house and my family because I realize that there are other people who are less fortunate than me,” senior Breanna Amine said.
A few selected juniors were also invited on the trip in order to lead their class next year.
“We are all very fortunate in Brighton and we should appreciate everything we have,” junior Grace Bautch.
For the seniors this was an amazing experience to learn about diversity, different cultures, and to be able to serve.
“I signed up, but they only picked a certain amount of people. I wish I could have gone,” senior Chris Traudt said.