St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center Moves Detroit Campus for GED Tutoring to Wayne Metro CAA

Sept. 11, 2014 - PRLog -- SVSF is moving its downtown campus for its General Education Degree (GED) program to offices at Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency’s Detroit Main Service Office (Wayne Metro) located at 7310 Woodward Avenue. The new campus joins three others in Detroit offering the SVSF’s free, individualized GED tutoring for adults 18 years and older.

“St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center is pleased to partner with Wayne Metro Community Action Agency to help residents improve their lives through education,” said Diane Renaud, Executive Director/CEO of SVSF.

The Wayne Metro location began welcoming new students, as well as serving existing students who were receiving GED tutoring at the Skillman Library in downtown Detroit, beginning Monday, September 8, 2014. “We are grateful to the Skillman Branch of The Detroit Public library for being a tremendous partner. However, the new location is more accessible to a greater number of our students in the Downtown Detroit area,” noted Renaud.

Wayne Metro has been administering 60 social services and emergency assistance programs for the 42 communities in the Wayne Metro area since 1971. The Agency recently expanded its service area to include the City of Detroit. Its mission is to empower low-income individuals and strengthen communities through diverse services, leadership and collaboration.

“We’re excited to have this opportunity to collaborate with the St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center,” said Mia Cupp, Director of Development and Communications for Wayne Metro. “We share a commitment to help the citizens of the area.”

SVSF’s GED completion program focuses on helping Detroit adults (age 18 or older) become more self-sufficient and contributing members to the community and economy through education. The free, individualized programs have been very successful. A typical first-time GED test pass rate for Detroit is 20 percent versus 95 percent first-time pass rate for SVSF students. So, these adults are able to move toward meaningful employment much sooner.

“People can no longer expect to support themselves or their families with less than a high school education,” says Renaud. “Today, people need either a GED or high school diploma even in industries such as retail, food service and manufacturing that previously didn’t require such education.”

St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center:  GED Tutoring Locations

Main Campus, N.W. Detroit:  Corner of Grand River & Burt Road

20900 Grand River Ave., Detroit, MI 48219

Orientation: Tuesdays, 10:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

East Side Campus: N.S.O. Harper-Gratiot Service Center

9641 Harper Ave., Detroit, MI 48213

Orientation: Mondays, 9:00 a.m.

Central Campus: Oakman & Linwood at Focus:  HOPE

1200 Oakman Boulevard, CAT Building, Detroit, MI 48238

Orientation: Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.

Downtown Campus: (Woodward & W. Grand Boulevard) at Wayne Metropolitan

Community Action Agency

7310 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI 48202

Orientation: Mondays, 1:00 p.m.

For more information, call 313-535-9200.

The St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center began in 1844 as St. Vincent’s Academy in Detroit, a kindergarten for orphaned children. The organization evolved through the years and moved to Farmington Hills, establishing an adoption/foster care residence for children. In 2006, when policies and the economy changed, the Center closed its residential doors, but wanted to continue to fulfill its mission of serving at-risk children and adults. Identifying the significant need, the Center returned to Detroit and its roots of education, and now provides free, personalized educational support for children and adults. These programs are designed to help build self-sufficiency skills for academic and employment success, personal achievement and dignity.

Wayne Metro is the Community Action Agency serving all of Wayne County, including the City of Detroit. Our mission is to empower low-income people and strengthen communities through diverse services, leadership, and collaboration. The agency has been serving the needs of low-income individuals since 1971, delivering more than 60 integrated programs, including educational, housing, financial empowerment and basic needs services to individuals, families, and children. We maintain a low administrative rate (6%) so that $.94 of every dollar can be utilized for direct client services. With administrative offices in Wyandotte and Detroit, Wayne Metro maintains over 20 service sites throughout Wayne County, including Detroit, Highland Park, Hamtramck, Harper Woods, Taylor and Westland.

Media Contacts:

Sue Voyles, 734-667-2005 / sue@logos-communications.com

Diane Renaud, 313-535-9200 / diane.renaud@svsfcenter.org

Mia Cupp, 734-536-2006 / mcupp@waynemetro.org