COVID-19 Update: Joseph L. Hudson Jr. Dies, Troy’s MedSupply Creates PPE Supply Pipeline, and More

Here is a roundup of the latest news concerning the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to announcements from local, state, and federal governments, as well as international channels. To share a business or nonprofit story, please send us a message.
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graph of coronavirus cases in Michigan
Courtesy of Bridge

Here is a roundup of the latest news concerning the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to announcements from local, state, and federal governments, as well as international channels. To share a business or nonprofit story, please send us a message.

Philanthropist, Businessman, Racial Justice Advocate Joseph L. Hudson Jr. Dies
Joseph L. Hudson Jr., who spent more than seven decades as a driving force in the formation and development of what have become foundational institutions in the fields of philanthropy, social justice, and economic development for the city of Detroit, state of Michigan, and the region, died Wednesday morning at his home in Grosse Pointe Farms. He was 89 years old.

Hudson was born in Buffalo, N.Y., joined The J. L. Hudson Co. following graduation from Yale University in 1953, served in the U.S. Army, was elected a vice president of the company in 1957, and in 1961 became president and CEO. He served the company until his retirement from the J. L. Hudson Co. and Dayton Hudson Corp. in 1982.

Hudson was elected to the board of trustees of the Hudson-Webber Foundation in 1956 and served as president, and later chairman from 1961 until his retirement from that office in 1996.  He continued to serve as a lifetime honorary trustee.

In 1985, Hudson was elected the first president and CEO of the newly merged Detroit Medical Center and served until his retirement in 1990. He had previously served on the board and as chairman of Harper Hospital.

Hudson served as a director of National Bank of Detroit, Detroit Edison, Michigan Bell Telephone Co., National Steel, Bundy Corp., Masco Corp., and McCormick Oil and Gas.

In the wake of Detroit’s civil unrest in July 1967, Gov. George Romney and Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanagh appointed Hudson as the first chairman of the New Detroit Committee, a 39-member coalition composed of business, labor, governmental, and civic leaders, including militant and moderate spokespersons for the African American community in Detroit. Hudson served as chairman until 1968 and continued to serve on the board of trustees of New Detroit Inc. through the 1980s.

In 1984, Hudson led the creation of the convened leaders of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and served as its founding chair until 2003, and continued as a trustee.

Hudson’s other civic and community involvement included service on the City of Detroit Arts Commission where he served as president from 1979-1990; trustee and trustee emeritus of the Detroit Institute of Arts, director of Detroit Renaissance (1990-2007). He chaired the annual campaign and later served as president of the United Foundation, now known as United Way. He also served as a trustee and president of the Tannahill Foundation.

Throughout the years, Hudson received many civic and professional awards and honorary degrees.

Hudson is survived by four children, 10 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Memorial gifts in Joseph L. Hudson Jr.’s name can be made in any amount to the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan’s COVID-19 Relief Fund here and the Michigan Justice Fund here.

Troy’s MedSupply Creates PPE Supply Pipeline
MedSupply, a Troy-based supplier of PPE, medical equipment, prosthetics, and orthotics, says it has created a “robust” supply chain and is well stocked with supplies of PPE.

Through its supplier network, MedSupply says it has maintained a product pipeline to keep up with PPE demand for both businesses and individuals, as the anticipated second wave of COVID-19 brings an increase in the number of positive cases.

“With what feels like a never-ending time period, it is clear that no matter which face covering you choose, the protection that is provided when all parties do their part is of the utmost importance,” says Paul Bode, director of business development for MedSupply. “MedSupply has been privileged to be a resource for not only our medical and non-medical community here in metro Detroit but around the country throughout these ever-changing times. We look to continually provide all necessary PPE for anyone that might be in need.”

MedSupply has ample supplies of products such as N-95 masks, isolation gowns, medical infrared thermometers, sanitizer wipes, and hand sanitizer and can customize orders tailored to businesses and their specific volumes and needs. The company also offers the walk-through Temperature Gate, an automatic, safe temperature reader.

For more information, visit here.

ACC Receives Minority Health Grant from State of Michigan
Troy-based nonprofit ACC has received a three-year, $42,000 annual grant from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to fund its Minority Health Community Capacity Building Initiative, which focuses on community and personal needs of ACC clients.

The community aspect of the grant will focus on collaboration and cooperation with community services providers to bring awareness and education regarding health disparities among ethnic and racial populations. The grant’s personal aspect will enable ACC to work directly with clients by collecting demographics data through the implementation of a “Social Determinants of Health” form and direct education related to health equity.

“We are very grateful to the MDHHS for this three-year grant, allowing us to further serve the needs of the community and our clients,” says Haifa Fakhouri, president and CEO of ACC. “As ACC continues to assist refugees and multiethnic populations in southeast Michigan, this grant is invaluable in assisting us in generating awareness to the dire needs of health equity across the region.”

The objectives and goals of ACC’s Minority Health Community Capacity Building Initiative Program include collaboration with local health and social services providers to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate education regarding determinants of health inequity for Arab Chaldean American and African American population. ACC will work directly with clients of its Community Health Centers to collect data needed to identify and address social determinants of health.

Additionally, ACC will provide culturally and linguistically appropriate educational sessions to health and other services providers and educate the community on health disparities among Arab Chaldean American population.

Under the framework of the grant, ACC will collect a minimum of 500 completed Social Determinants of Health forms each fiscal year and reach out to a minimum of 5,000 members of the Arab Chaldean and African American communities. Data will be gathered by tracking the number of participants in community activities, information dispersed, outreach efforts, clients contacted, and forms collected.

Ford Donates 50,000 Face Masks to Wayne State University
A donation of 50,000 medical-grade, disposable face masks from the Ford Motor Co. Fund provides a critical stockpile at Wayne State University in Detroit that will help protect students and the campus community throughout the pandemic.

“We are immensely grateful for this generous gift of face masks from the Ford Motor Co. Fund,” says David Strauss, dean of students at WSU. “Having medical-grade PPE on hand for students will help keep us all Warrior Safe and Warrior Strong.”

The disposable masks are a welcome addition to the cloth masks Wayne State distributes to all students and will be available throughout the year for health science programs and at units across campus that primarily serve students, such as the Student Center and the libraries. All students can use them as needed.

“Students can’t learn if they don’t feel safe,” says Mike Schmidt, director of education at the Ford Motor Co. Fund. “Masks play a vital role in slowing the spread of COVID-19. That’s why Ford Fund and Talent Acquisition are working with our long-time partners at Wayne State University to encourage students and others on campus to be safe and respectful of others by wearing proper PPE.”

Targeting the production of 100 million face masks for distribution across the United States is the most recent philanthropic venture for Ford Motor Co.’s Project Apollo, an effort to produce PPE such as face masks, face shields, and gowns for Ford employees and at-risk communities.

Ford is manufacturing 2.5 million masks per week and will continue production through 2021. The face mask undertaking follows Project Apollo’s completion of 50,000 ventilators for clinicians treating COVID-19 patients.

Xenith Partners with Boys and Girls Clubs to Reimagine Youth Sports
The Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan and Detroit-based sports equipment manufacturer Xenith have joined forces to support youth athletes both on and off the field.

Xenith’s contribution to the partnership includes but is not limited to providing uniforms, equipment, and products for BGCSM athletes, as well as a donation of time from Xenith team members for volunteer and instructional activities.

“At Xenith, we believe in putting the athlete at the center of all that we do by supporting them both on and off the field,” says Ryan Sullivan, CEO of Xenith. “The opportunity to partner with the BGCSM around the shared vision for the 21st century athlete here in our hometown of Detroit is core to our mission as a team.”

Xenith has provided BGCSM youth and families with Xenith equipment at no additional cost to them, including Xenith LOOP non-tackle headgear for the BGCSM flag football programs, and prizes to support the BGCSM enrichment programs. Additionally, two teams from the Greater Metropolitan Youth Sports League will be awarded Xenith uniforms prior to the 2021 football season.

“We’re grateful to Xenith for investing in our mission of preparing youth to become career, startup, and homeowner ready by 18,” says Shawn H. Wilson, president and CEO of BGCSM. “Youth sports are key to giving youth the real-world skills needed to achieve those goals.”

This programing included an event in September that focused on racial inequality and sports.  The Xenith Prep Kickoff Classic Community Summit was hosted at the BGCSM’s Dauch Club and featured community leaders and football coaches discussing how racial inequality has impacted their lives and careers, and how sport can serve as a conduit for change in our communities.

Oakland WRC Begins Pilot Project to Increase Production of Biogas from Wastewater
The Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office has begun a pilot project to determine how well a non-traditional type of bacteria will improve the breakdown of solids in wastewater. More efficient “digestion” of these solids by bacteria can increase production of biogas, which may be used as fuel for heating and generating electricity.

In a laboratory, Caldicellulosiruptor bescii, or C. bescii, has shown that it can break down sludge left over after conventional processes in sewage treatment plants, producing biogas.

“This project is a really innovative approach to the development of alternative fuels,” says Jim Nash, commissioner of Water Resources. “The use of C. bescii has the potential to produce 50 percent more biogas and to cut the leftover biosolids in half.”

The WRC pilot project will move this process out of the lab and onto a treatment site in an effort to define the amount of increased biogas that the process creates. This information will be used to calculate the size of a cogeneration system that uses the biogas to produce electricity. Cogeneration, also known as combined heat and power, merges the production of usable heat and electricity into a single process that can reduce carbon emissions and energy costs. The preliminary design of the new cogeneration system will be coordinated with the preliminary design of electrical improvements at the Clinton River Water Resource Recovery Facility.

The C. bescii hydrolysis process has been tested in a controlled lab at Oregon State University under the direction of Jacobs Consultants Inc., of Bingham Farms.

Jacobs is leading all the pilot construction, startup operations, and operational oversight. The WRC staff will collect samples and perform lab analysis.

The pilot will employ a scientific methodology for evaluating results, with a “test” train of wastewater and a separate “control” train. The two digestion trains will operate identically, with similar water and volatile solids loading rates at moderate temperatures.

A self-contained pilot unit with 300-gallon digesters, enclosed inside a semitrailer, was delivered to the Clinton River facility last month. The pilot work is set to begin this month and will continue for about six months. Once the study is completed, the pilot unit will be demobilized and removed from the facility.

If the pilot is successful, the WRC and Jacobs intend to demonstrate the process with a full-scale digestion system using C. bescii bacteria.

Canterbury Village Holiday Stroll Begins Today
The Holiday Stroll at Canterbury Village in Lake Orion begins today, from 6-9 p.m.

Guests will stroll through an outdoor winter wonderland with almost a million lights, displays, professional carolers, a seven-minute amazing light show, Christmas performances, recreations of favorite holiday scenes, live holiday characters, and characters featuring Frosty the Snowman, Buddy the Elf, the Grinch, Olaf, Jack Frost, Anna and Elsa, and more.

The Holiday Stroll will be open Dec. 3-6, Dec. 11-13, and Dec. 18-20. Tickets are $9.99 per person. Children under 2, active military, and veterans are free.

A contactless ticketing system will be in place with all tickets available online and for advance purchase only. Limited capacity sessions will be offered with timed tickets available starting at 6 p.m. each night and every half hour, through 9 p.m.

For more information and advanced ticket sales, visit here.

Old Newsboys’ Goodfellow Fund Raises $582,253 Toward $1M Goal
As of Dec. 2, the Old Newsboys’ Goodfellow Fund of Detroit has raised $582,253, 58.2 percent of its $1 million 2020 fundraising goal, which the group hopes to meet by the end of its fiscal year on Jan. 31, 2021.

Of the total amount raised to date, $45,432 was raised in two days through the more than 100-year-old annual tradition of Sales Day, which took place virtually on Nov. 30, Giving Tuesday on Dec. 1, and Facebook fundraisers.

With the organization’s annual Tribute Breakfast, its other major fundraiser, having not occurred this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more help than ever is needed to reach its annual fundraising goal to ensure it can deliver on its motto and mission of “No kiddie without a Christmas,” according to the organization.

“Despite the changes our major fundraisers have faced this year, Detroit came through on our Virtual Sales Day and Giving Tuesday,” says Daran Carey, president of Detroit Goodfellows. “We still have a way to go to reach our goal and appreciate people everywhere keeping Detroit Goodfellows in mind as we move through the holiday season and they look for organizations to support.”

There are many opportunities available to help the organization now, throughout the season and beyond:

  • Tax-deductible donations here.
  • Sending a check to: The Old Newsboys’ Goodfellow Fund of Detroit, P.O. Box 44444, Detroit, MI 48244-0444.
  • Via Facebook here.
  • Using Amazon Smile for online shopping by signing into their amazon.com account, clicking the Amazon Smile tab, searching Detroit Goodfellows and clicking select.

Any donation amount is accepted. A $35 donation typically covers the cost of one holiday gift box.

For more information about the Detroit Goodfellows organization, visit here or contact executive director Sari Klok-Schneider at 586-775-6139 or sarigoodfellows@gmail.com.