By Danielle Emerson
 |
| Dan Akerson |
DETROIT — General Motors Co. CEO Dan Akerson and his wife, Karin, today donated $1 million to start a Habitat for Humanity Detroit initiative called Leaders to ReBuild Detroit, GM spokesman Greg Martin confirmed.
"Dan has a long track record of supporting strong communities both in the greater Washington, D.C., area and certainly now that he has moved to Detroit," Martin said in an interview. "This is just one more example of Dan rolling up his sleeves and getting actively involved in the communities where he lives and works."
Dan Akerson maintains residences in both Detroit and Washington.
Martin said Akerson has been involved with other Detroit-area events and organizations, including the Capuchin Soup Kitchen and Karmanos Cancer Institute. He also has matched UAW donations to the Wounded Warrior Project for wounded war veterans, Martin said.
A press release by Habitat for Humanity Michigan said the three-year, multimillion-dollar initiative is designed to engage Detroit's corporate leaders in revitalizing the city.
The project will serve at least 500 families in a Detroit neighborhood known as the Morningside Commons by 2014, Habitat for Humanity said.
As part of Habitat Michigan's statewide $225 million campaign to provide housing, 200 families also will participate in financial literacy training, home ownership workshops and community security initiatives provided by partnering organizations.
The idea for a public gift from the Akersons sprung from a conversation last year at a meeting of the American Society of Corporate Executives, attended by Dan Akerson and Home Depot CEO Frank Blake, whose wife, Liz Blake, is general counsel of Habitat for Humanity, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Akerson told the Free Press that the donation to the initiative also would look at stabilizing public safety in the Detroit neighborhood.
"The idea is to galvanize resources around the two schools that are in the area so we can create safe pathways to schools," he told the newspaper.
The report also said the General Motors Foundation has been resurrecting its philanthropic efforts for the past two years, most notably with a $27.1 million pledge to help boost graduation rates at seven southeast Michigan high schools.
"Dan has a long track record of supporting strong communities both in the greater Washington, D.C., area and certainly now that he has moved to Detroit," Martin said in an interview. "This is just one more example of Dan rolling up his sleeves and getting actively involved in the communities where he lives and works."
Dan Akerson maintains residences in both Detroit and Washington.
Martin said Akerson has been involved with other Detroit-area events and organizations, including the Capuchin Soup Kitchen and Karmanos Cancer Institute. He also has matched UAW donations to the Wounded Warrior Project for wounded war veterans, Martin said.
A press release by Habitat for Humanity Michigan said the three-year, multimillion-dollar initiative is designed to engage Detroit's corporate leaders in revitalizing the city.
The project will serve at least 500 families in a Detroit neighborhood known as the Morningside Commons by 2014, Habitat for Humanity said.
As part of Habitat Michigan's statewide $225 million campaign to provide housing, 200 families also will participate in financial literacy training, home ownership workshops and community security initiatives provided by partnering organizations.
The idea for a public gift from the Akersons sprung from a conversation last year at a meeting of the American Society of Corporate Executives, attended by Dan Akerson and Home Depot CEO Frank Blake, whose wife, Liz Blake, is general counsel of Habitat for Humanity, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Akerson told the Free Press that the donation to the initiative also would look at stabilizing public safety in the Detroit neighborhood.
"The idea is to galvanize resources around the two schools that are in the area so we can create safe pathways to schools," he told the newspaper.
The report also said the General Motors Foundation has been resurrecting its philanthropic efforts for the past two years, most notably with a $27.1 million pledge to help boost graduation rates at seven southeast Michigan high schools.
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