Taking care of her community is something that runs in Jerry Hebron’s blood.
In 2000, her mother Rev. Bertha Carter created Northend Christian Community Development Corporation (CDC) with the mission of serving unhoused people in Detroit’s North End neighborhood. Since Hebron took the helm as executive director in 2008, the nonprofit has expanded to include the 10–acre Oakland Avenue Urban Farm with a focus on youth, community and workforce development and food justice.
“The organization’s mission is all about cultivating people, food and community, and, in that, we look to provide services that bring a better quality of life for the folks who live here in the North End and in Detroit as well,” Hebron said. “This year, when we looked at the calendar and said, ‘Wow, it’s been 25 years that we’ve been here,’ it was like, we have to celebrate this and we have to celebrate it with the community.”
That celebration is “Soles in the Garden,” taking place from 3-9 p.m. Saturday at Oakland Avenue Urban Farm, 9227 Goodwin St. The family-friendly event is free, but people must RSVP on Eventbrite.
“We’ll have bounce houses, face painting, carnival rides and live music performances. And the event is being hosted by Tune-Up Man from 105.9 Kiss (WDMK-FM),” Hebron said.
The party will also include food trucks, live installations in the nearby North End Agri-Arts Alley and performances by local artists Kimmie Horne, Bryce Detroit, Bruce Bailey and Charity.
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The farm, a program of the CDC, was part of the Detroit Community Compost Collection Project, which worked to shape Detroit’s community compost pilot. The farm also helped create the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund to rebuild land ownership for the city’s Black farmers.
Hebron attributes Northend Christian’s longevity to its connection to the residents in the community. During the economic recession in 2008, Hebron said she and her team were on the ground asking residents what they needed.
“The people who live here, the people who have stayed here, have stayed here with purpose,” Hebron said. “They stayed here because they’re deeply rooted into the culture, the arts and the legacy of this community. The thing that’s different about our work is the way we communicate with people. We walk the streets and really get to know people. They trust us.”
For more information on Northend Christian CDC, call 313-903-0049 or email info@oaklandurbanfarm.org.