By Lester Booker Jr.
In preparation for the 2018 school year, volunteers rallied together at the following locations to provide a much-needed makeover before students returned to the classroom:
- Cody High School
- Dixon Elementary Learning Academy
- Henderson Academy
- Carver STEM Academy
- Mann Learning Community School
“Education is number one,” said Cristina Stamatin, cost engineer, Interior Seats and Safety. “This is my first time at Cody High School and I’m here to help improve the area around the schools with my team. Opportunities like this allow General Motors to be seen as humane and not just a big corporation. Our employees care and they give their time and money to make the community better for everyone.”
General Motors’ involvement in the Cody Rouge neighborhood is part of a multi-year partnership with DTE Energy, Quicken Loans and The Skillman Foundation. This is our opportunity to build and sustain a more vibrant Detroit through engagement and investments that make General Motors’ hometown a great place to live, work and thrive.
Stamatin, a 20-year veteran at General Motors also reflected on growing up in Detroit:
“I came to this country at 15 years old from Romania with my parents and we had nothing. I lived on the East side of Detroit for two years. My dad worked on the line; my mother cleaned offices and I had to learn how to speak English. To me, work makes you better and having a good education will allow you to advance in the world. When I volunteer at Escuela Avancemos Academy on the West side of Detroit, this is the message I share with the students. They can do whatever they want as long as they learn, study and have a goal in mind.”
TeamGM Cares is committed to working with Cody Rouge residents to support their vision for a family- and child-focused environment that promotes a high quality of life.
To obtain additional information about General Motors’ employee volunteer engagements, please visit
https://media.gm.com/product/public/us/en/teamGM_cares/home.html.
