Grant to help Detroit charity take program national

Oct. 3, 2012 - PRLog -- DETROIT, October 2, 2012 : -    Matrix Human Services (Matrix) is pleased to announce that it is the recipient of a $572,000 grant award from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to take its Transition to Success (TTS) Model national. The TTS Model, developed by Dr. Marcella Wilson, President and CEO of Matrix Human Services, is a scientifically driven system of care with a proven record of moving individuals and families out of poverty to a life of economic self-sufficiency.  

“Matrix is proud to be at the forefront of developing a program to teach others how to attack this great scourge upon our nation,” said Dr. Marcella Wilson.  “The TTS Model is living proof that when you give someone a dream…when you give them a vision, technology and tools to accomplish that vision, it changes people’s lives,” she continued.  The grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation is critical as it will allow Matrix Human Services to develop a curriculum to teach others how to implement the TTS model.  
Detroit has the highest poverty rate in America at 44 percent.  This poverty rate today is the highest it has been in more than 40 years.   Implementation of the TTS Model is needed more than ever. By implementing the Transition to Success Model into the lives of our clients, we impact and uplift, developing a real path to independence….not just a hand out but a strong and reliable hand up.
Matrix helps more than 25,000 people every year through various challenges related to poverty The grant enables Matrix to create a curriculum for the TTS Model so that other cities around the country can implement similar programs to eradicate poverty.
“Matrix was my angel. Because of them, my spirit is alive. Once alone and broken, today I am employed, I am in college, I have a home and I am raising my son,” says Michelle Berry, a former client of Matrix Human Services.  



About the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer, Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Mich., and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.


About Matrix Human Services
Matrix Human Services is a 501(c)3 charity in Detroit providing 15 programs at 26 locations to assist those in need. Matrix has been serving the city of Detroit for more than 106 years. All Matrix programs are rooted in our Transition to Success (TTS) Model, a system of care designed to transition individuals and families out of poverty to a life of economic self-sufficiency. Serving as connective tissue to all programs and services, Matrix offers a strong reliable hand up…not just a hand out. TTS coordinates care for basic needs, learning to read, getting an education (GED), financial literacy and volunteerism, a core component of Transition to Success. With the disease of poverty overshadowing Detroit and surrounding communities, the need for Matrix programs is greater than ever.

To discover more about Matrix Human Services and how you can get involved visit www.matrixhumanservices.org or contact us at (313) 831-1000.