The famous “Find it Fast Yellow Pages” sign no longer sits atop the stately building at 882 Oakman Boulevard in the Pilgrim Village neighborhood on Detroit's west side. 
But just as that iconic sign was an enduring symbol of the former Michigan Bell’s telephone service, the location remains synonymous with service today thanks to the Neighborhood Service Organization (NSO), which is headquartered in what is now called the NSO-Bell Building.

With deep roots in Detroit going back to 1955, NSO’s comprehensive service menu has included homeless recovery services; providing assistance for older adults with mental illness; supporting children, youth and adults with developmental disabilities; community outreach for psychiatric emergencies and much more.  
In some instances, the NSO’s ability to change lives has gone beyond the tens of thousands of people that have received the nonprofit’s services, and lifelong Detroiter David Rudolph offers proof.   
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“NSO gave me a heart to understand that it’s not about the circumstances that brought you to this place; what’s important is that you have a way to recover and that is what NSO has always provided,” said Rudolph, who was asked to serve as a volunteer board member by former NSO Chief Executive Officer Sheilah Clay 16 years ago and continues today because, as Rudolph puts it, the service he provides allows him to “give to” the Detroit community that nurtured him.

“When people in our community have been in need; when no one else has been there for them; NSO has been that last net," he continued. "Or if you hit the ground and bounce up, NSO is there for you too.” 
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During 2021, the Free Press highlighted Rudolph within a series of stories recognizing “Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Food Fighters.” As reported at that time, Rudolph, the founder and senior managing partner of D. Ericson & Associates Public Relations in Detroit, was one of the driving forces behind “Too Many Cooks In the Kitchen for Good,” a collective which provided food for nonprofits, including NSO, during the early stage of the pandemic in Michigan. But a decade earlier, Rudolph also contributed something equally “good” to his community when he created NSO’s “Handlebars for the Homeless,” a guided bicycle tour which raises money to support individuals experiencing homelessness in Detroit. 

The annual Handlebars for the Homeless bicycle tour did not occur in 2020 due to the pandemic, and a virtual version of the event took place in 2021. But on Sunday, Aug. 14, Handlebars for the Homeless will return in-person with a new route stretching roughly 15 miles, which will begin and end at the NSO-Bell Building. In between, riders will peddle through scenic and historic Detroit neighborhoods, including Boston-Edison, Piety Hill and Virginia Park, along with the Poletown and Milwaukee Junction communities. And at about the halfway point of the route, there will be a stop at the Clay Apartments, NSO’s 42-unit permanent supportive housing facility at 3364 Mack, which opened in October 2020.

“We have this event to raise money, but it’s really about raising awareness,” said Rudolph, who points to the jarring sights he viewed while riding his bike to and from his downtown office as a catalyst for the creation of Handlebars for the Homeless. “When you’re riding by at eye level, at 5 to 12 miles per hour, you see things — like people sleeping in-between doorways and digging out of dumpsters by restaurants — that you don’t see when you’re traveling 30, 35 or 40 miles per hour in a car.”

Rudolph’s serious tone momentarily changed to laughter on Tuesday afternoon, when he brought up the pace that the Handlebars riders will be traveling during the scenic tour on Aug. 14. He joked that onlookers will not mistake any of the riders for Lance Armstrong. But while the Tour de France may not be in the future for any of the participants, he says the “character” of the people that are drawn to the event is nothing less than world-class.  

“It’s one of the most honorable rides out there because of the people that participate in it,” Rudolph explained. “And they participate because of what the ride and NSO stand for. I always go back to us only being as strong as our weakest link, and everyone who participates in Handlebars for the Homeless forms a link of caring.” 

Rudolph’s statement was echoed by Darvell Powell, founder and president of Black Young Professionals (BYP) of Metro Detroit, which began as a meetup group in 2015 but has become increasingly committed to civic engagement through the years. 

“We were looking for established organizations that were serving the community and NSO stood out,” Powell said as he explained why his members volunteer their time to support NSO, including serving on the planning committee for Handlebars for the Homeless. 

When BYP established a partnership with NSO in 2016, Powell was working in Warren as an engineer for General Motors. Today, his workplace is located in Nashville, Tenn., where the 34-year-old Powell is a senior supplier quality development engineer for Nissan. Despite the demands of his job and the more than 500-mile distance between Nashville and Detroit, Powell proudly says that he is making the time to join fellow BYP members in Detroit on Aug. 13 and 14, as they volunteer their time to ensure the successful execution of this year’s Handlebars for the Homeless.

“NSO, and the cause of serving the homeless in Detroit speak to my spirit,” said Powell, who sounded like the seasoned engineer that he is when he described in precise detail the duties the BYP volunteers will be performing outside the NSO building and along the Handlebars for the Homeless cycling route on the day of the event. “Detroit is a very important city for the Black community; in the region and across the nation -- everybody relates back to Detroit. And our organization’s relationship with NSO has really been a blessing. We’re able to lend manpower, technical talents, skills and time while showing that young professionals care about what’s going on in the community.”

And for BYP members and other participants in this year’s Handlebars for the Homeless, there will be a golden opportunity to learn more about how NSO impacts the community when the bicycle tour makes that half-way stop at Clay Apartments (named after Sheilah Clay). Awaiting the riders will be 70-year-old Allah Young, who was among the first residents to move into the complex after what he said was a three-year period of "existing" at multiple shelters before coming to NSO. Speaking from his “impeccably” clean apartment on Thursday, Young promised that on Aug. 14 he would provide the riders with a walking tour of the complex, including his apartment, and share words from his heart. 
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“Sheilah Clay thought that no one should be homeless, and the current (NSO) President Linda Little wants to eradicate homelessness in the city of Detroit; this should be a model program for the entire nation,” Young, who describes himself as a legacy Detroiter from the city’s east side, said. “I’m dedicated to helping Ms. Little and Ms. (Katrina) McCree (NSO’s chief community impact officer) push NSO’s agenda. I have found my calling!”

Resource: ​https://www.freep.com/mosaic-story/news/local/detroit-is/2022/08/02/neighborhood-service-organization-handlebars-homeless-bike-tour/10149128002/

The integrated initiative complements research findings that many people who have mental health challenges and developmental disabilities are least likely to take care of their health and medical needs. It was also discovered that around 75 percent of this segment in Detroit does not seek medical care over 12 months.
Linda Little, President of the NSO, explains the massive challenge these findings have uncovered: “This demographic pays little attention to their physical health needs until it later becomes a crisis and needs to be addressed immediately. To solve this issue, the NSO has created a key program that seeks to integrate primary health with behavioral health services--giving our clients immediate access to medical care and attention.”
According to Little, another aspect that the NSO has put a key focus on is the growing incidence of homelessness-- where recent reports have shown an increase of 0.7 percent. Concerning this increase, unaccompanied children and young adults make up 14.3 percent, followed by individuals experiencing chronic homelessness at 12.2 percent and lastly by people suffering from unsheltered homelessness at 9.4 percent. The numbers also translate to a staggering 553,742 homeless people on a given night--reflecting a rate of approximately 17 people experiencing homelessness per every 10,000 people in the general population.
She further added that the NSO, which was established almost 67 years ago, is guided by its mission to provide healthcare assistance to older adults with mental illness; children, youth, and adults with developmental disabilities; homeless recovery services; housing development; community outreach for psychiatric emergencies; and volunteer opportunities for individuals, groups, and organizations.
Over the last four years under Little’s leadership, the NSO has developed and successfully rolled-out bespoke programs and initiatives widely based on healthy housing and integrated healthcare.
“Our mandate is clear,: to provide essential healthcare services to those who do not have access, yet badly need it. We shall remain steadfast in out committment to continue to evolve and expand to meet the needs of vulnerable populations in metropolitan Detroit.” concluded Little.
Resources: ​https://apnews.com/press-release/prodigy-news/49dd494bdbd6c162c6322e5e4f5ed329

​NSO sends a sincere thank you to Cass Technical High School’s PTSA members and President Veronica Seatts for their kindheartedness.

The cold weather items they donated will certainly help our residents stay warm when they venture outside as the temperatures in Metro Detroit have been below freezing for over a week. Great job, Technicians!

These disparities have nothing to do with race, but rather racism, and the unjust policies and structures that prevent many people from achieving optimal health. Factors like unequal access to quality education, housing and high paying jobs contribute to the health inequities that plague Michigan and the entire country.
The Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion was a great step forward in mitigating health inequities. Michigan expanded Medicaid coverage in 2014 for households with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level. That expansion increased total Medicaid/CHIP enrollment in Michigan by 43% and generally resulted in improved physical, mental and financial well-being for Medicaid beneficiaries. Michigan’s Medicaid program has been a leader in addressing social determinants of health through commitments to evidence-based services like community health workers.
We’ve made great progress but much more is needed. A commitment by all in health care — such as health plans, plan sponsors, government, providers and hospitals—is critical to creating an equitable health care system that works for everyone.
Data can drive equity
The Whitmer administration has been a leader in advancing health equity throughout the pandemic. Its work enabled Michigan to be one of the first states to identify and release data on racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 cases and deaths, and many other states followed. National data has identified stark disparities, with Black Americans 1.7 times more likely than whites to die of COVID-19. In Michigan, identification of these disparities led to swift action. Governor Whitmer declared racism a public health crisis and followed up by launching the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities that has continued to inform the administration’s pandemic policies and actions.
The Biden administration’s COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force has highlighted the importance of collection and prompt reporting of disparity data. Without such information, the ability to understand and address health outcomes across diverse communities is limited. Health equity is one of the five pillars of the quintuple aim, a national framework for how we should improve health care quality. Any health care leader who is serious about quality must include equity as part of that commitment. The collection, sharing and reporting of disparity data is an imperative as we work to assess and improve the quality of the health care services we provide.
Enforcing an equity standard
Aetna Better Health of Michigan is fully committed to quality and equity and is proud to work with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) to develop the Health Equity Accreditation Plus program. The initiative sets a robust health equity standard to identify gaps in care and health outcomes and identify ways to close them. We were selected as one of nine health organizations to pilot the program. We’ll collect and analyze both community and individual data to promote thoughtful partnerships, support community referrals, measure impact and close gaps in care.
Equitable health care is local, and it must reflect the many unique challenges facing each community. Partnering with trusted local voices empowers us to provide the right care to our members and improve trust in the health care system. Each day, our team works to expand our network of community partners to better meet members where they are. A few of these excellent local agents of change include Neighborhood Service Organization, Matrix Human Services, Focus: HOPE, Housing Resources Incorporated and Great Start Collaborative.
Collaborating with community partners to improve health equity is essential for all health care leaders.  Community organizations are critical to helping overcome barriers to fulfilling basic needs like housing and food, and build trust and engagement with the health care system.
Too many people have died from COVID-19 in Michigan and across the country, and we must continue to act with urgency to address the inequities that the pandemic has laid bare. The entire health care ecosystem must come together to improve the health of our communities, and the work must be firmly rooted in data and local partnerships. The color of someone’s skin or the zip code in which they live should not determine whether they will die during a pandemic or from any health condition. The pandemic will eventually end, but the importance of a data-informed, community driven, equitable health care ecosystem is a lesson we must not forget.
Joneigh S. Khaldun is vice president and chief health equity office for CVS Health. Beverly Allen, Chief Executive Officer, Aetna Better Health of Michigan  
​Resource:
​https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/contributors/2022/04/19/health-inequities-michigan-pandemic-opinion/7305826001/

​While there’s plenty of help available for formerly homeless individuals to secure rent and utility payments, there aren’t widespread programs to help newly the housed secure furniture and housewares. We commend UWSEM, Mrs. Norcia, and Mrs. Marks for recognizing this unique need and coming together to relieve our clients from the additional burden of furnishing a home.

1) What excites you most about being on the NSO Board of Directors?
The NSO provides hope for those who may feel hopeless and help for those who believe they are helpless. Watching the work of the NSO over the years as a past volunteer, I’ve always been impressed about the transformative deeds the organization has brought to those in need.
 
2) What influenced you to join the NSO Board of Directors?
Many of my past colleagues have been members of the board, and I’ve been encouraged by their good experiences. As an official with the City of Detroit, I have witnessed first-hand the continuous improvement to the programs and offerings the NSO has brought forth for Metro Detroiters
 
3) What is your favorite aspect of NSO?
In addition to shelter, the wrap around services that are provided are bar-none.
 
4) Briefly talk about your career (what you do) and one major highlight.
I currently serve the residents of Detroit as the Chief Operating Officer for Mayor Mike Duggan. Prior to accepting this fantastic opportunity, I was a HR executive in the private sector. One of the most memorable moments was during the pandemic, when my 25-year career came full circle. 
 
While participating in the pandemic response from the City of Detroit, I had the opportunity to meet and partner with many organizations, from private sector to high-ranking officials in the armed forces. I was fortunate to touch base with many from my past. Stellantis, formerly known as FCA (but will always be Chrysler for me), donated vehicles to be used by the city's Human Services division to navigate the many COVID shelters that were created, DTE with the generous donations of PPE, and my healthcare partners (DMC, Henry Ford Health Systems, Trinity and Ascension Health) who provided staff that performed thousands of COVID tests at the State Fairgrounds. I was able to utilize these great partnerships that I had formed over my career to help out during one of the most precarious times in recent history.

 5) How important is community service to you?
Dr. King once said that “it is all right to tell a man to lift himself by his own bootstrap, but it is a cruel jest to say to a bootless man that he ought to lift himself by his own bootstrap.” Sometimes in life's journey obstacles appear that can take us off track. When this occurs there are those of us who may need assistance in getting back on track. As many of us are blessed with gifts, we should use our gifts or our ability to help another in need. It is the essential reward of life.

​NSO thanks the Hour Generation Foundation for providing warmth to clients living in our shelter. Many consumers come with only the clothes on their backs and without basic need items. The Hour Generation Foundation provided over 100 clothing items which will cover the needs of these individuals for some time.