COMMUNITY AGENCIES

AARP Foundation/Worksearch; 15100 North Line Road, Room 157, Southgate 48195; 1-734-281-2470; Joan Hulet, project director
The organization offers employment and training services for those age 40 and older.

Adult Well-Being Services; 1423 Field Ave., Detroit 48214; 1-313-924-7860; Karen Schrock, president/chief executive officer
Through services, family support and advocacy, AWBS promotes well-being and independence of adults in Wayne, Macomb and Oakland counties as they age.
www.awbs.org

American Indian Services Inc.; 1110 Southfield Road, Lincoln Park 48146; 1-313-388-4100; Fay Givens, director
The agency provides youth programs, case management, therapy and a monthly food program to any American Indian in Wayne County.

Arc Downriver; 4212 13th St., Wyandotte 48192; 1-734-283-0710; Kevin McGuckin, executive director
Arc Downriver advocates for people who are developmentally challenged and have cognitive impairments, and their families, by promoting choices, creating opportunities and providing support needed to fully participate in the community.
www.downriverarc.org

Children with Hairloss; 12776 S. Dixie Highway, South Rockwood 48179; 1-734-379-4400; Regina Villemure, director
The organization was created as a resource for all children who have medically related hair loss. Its mission is to empower these children to become whole again by making hair available to those who might be financially challenged.
www.childrenwithhairloss.us

ChristNet Rotating Homeless Shelter; West Mound United Methodist Church, 22395 Eureka Road, Taylor 48180; 1-734-671-1300; Debra Petri, executive director
Intake is at 6:30 p.m. daily from October to May at the church.
www.christ-net.org

Community Care Services; 26184 W. Outer Drive, Lincoln Park 48146; 1-313-389-7500; Bill Walsh, executive director
Outpatient and residential mental health services and assistance with substance-abuse problems for families and individuals are offered. Facilities are in Lincoln Park, Taylor and Belleville.
www.comcareserv.org

Downriver Community Conference; 15100 North Line Road, Southgate 48195; 1-734-362-7070; James Perry, executive director
Services include employment/training, economic development and low-income home weatherization. There is a Michigan Works! office. The DCC also is a venue for member communities to coordinate issues, including Downriver Mutual Aid for emergency services. Member communities are Allen Park, Brownstown Township, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Ecorse, Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile Township, Huron Township, Lincoln Park, Melvindale, River Rouge, Riverview, Rockwood, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor, Trenton, Woodhaven and Wyandotte.
www.dccwf.org

First Step; 1-888-453-5900
First Step provides comprehensive services and support, at no charge, for victims of domestic and sexual violence. Services include shelter, a 24-hour help line, legal information, assault response to area hospitals, counseling, support groups, children's programs and more. There are offices in Plymouth, Wayne and Redford Township.
www.firststep-mi.org

Penrickton Center for Blind Children; 26530 Eureka Road, Taylor 48180; 1-734-946-7500; Kurt Sebaly, director
Penrickton Center, established in 1952, is a private, nonprofit five-day residential and day care agency serving blind, multidisabled children ages 1 to 12.
www.penrickton.com

SMART bus service; 535 Griswold, Suite 600, Detroit 48226; 1-866-962-5515; Steven Brown, interim general manager
The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation offers bus service in Wayne, Macomb and Oakland counties. Eleven Downriver communities are served: Allen Park, Ecorse, Lincoln Park, Melvindale, River Rouge, Riverview, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor, Trenton and Wyandotte. SMART has fixed-route, connector and community transit services.
www.smartbus.org

Southeast Michigan Community Alliance; 25363 Eureka Road, Taylor 48180; 1-734-229-3500; Gregory Pitoniak, chief executive officer
SEMCA is a Michigan Works! agency. It assists individuals with job searches and skills training, and helps businesses connect with skilled workers and access regulatory and technicial assistance. SEMCA also administers federal and state substance-abuse treatment and prevention programs.
www.semca.org

Team Mental Health Services; 14799 Dix-Toledo, Southgate 48195; 1-734-324-8326
Outpatient and mental health services are offered.
www.team-mentalhealth.com

The Guidance Center; 13101 Allen Road, Southgate 48195; 1-734-785-7700; Michael Lott, chief executive officer
The Guidance Center is a behavioral health and human services agency that has been in the Downriver community since 1958. It provides a broad range of services that help children, adults and families unlock potential and build better lives. Services spanning treatment, prevention, growth and education are delivered with professionalism in an atmosphere of caring, hope and respect.
www.guidance-center.org

The Guidance Center Community Garden; Walter White Community Resource Center, 550 Eaton, River Rouge 48218; 1-734-785-7705, ext. 7123; Rich Casteels, director
It's part of the Green Recovery Project, a three-year initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The garden provides social, recreational, vocational and educational opportunities for people with mental illnesses and other disabilities. Year-round activities include plant exchanges, harvest celebrations and craft shows, and there are weekly workshops on topics like food preservation, organic crafts and garden photography.

The Guidance Center Store; 15601 North Line Road, Suite 111 (in the Aquinas Center), Southgate 48195; 1-734-785-7735
Operated as part of The Guidance Center, the store offers more than 10,000 items, including language, literacy and social-development learning tools.

The Information Center; 20500 Eureka Road, Suite 110, Taylor 48180; 1-734-282-7171; Edward D'Angelo, executive director
The Information Center educates people about options and simplifying access to resources and services of interest to seniors. The nonprofit organization is a comprehensive information and referral agency bringing people and services together.
www.theinfocenter.info

The Senior Alliance; 3850 Second St., Suite 201, Wayne 48184; 1-734-722-2830; Bob Brown, executive director
The Senior Alliance coordinates a comprehensive network of services in 34 Wayne County communities, including all 18 Downriver.
www.aaa1c.org

United Way for Southeastern Michigan 2-1-1 service; 660 Woodward Ave., Suite 300, Detroit 48226; 211 or 1-800-552-1183; Michael Brennan, president and chief executive officer
United Way 2-1-1 is a multilingual, comprehensive information and referral service available 24 hours a day for residents of Wayne, Monroe, Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw counties. Its database contains more than 20,000 programs and services such as after-school programs, senior care services, medical and prescription assistance, credit counseling and mortgage foreclosure assistance, and housing and utility resources. People also can call 2-1-1 to be connected to volunteer opportunities.
www.uwsem.org/gethelp

Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency; 2121 Biddle Ave., Suite 102, Wyandotte 48192; 1-734-246-2280; Louis Piszker, chief executive officer
Programs and services include employment and training; outreach and emergency services; homelessness prevention; a senior caregiver program; Section 8 housing; a Medicaid enrollment program; youth and family services, including Head Start; and community development, including low-income weatherization and housing rehabilitation. There also are offices in Ecorse, Romulus and Taylor.
www.waynemetro.org

EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS

A Circle of Caring; 1-734-785-7700
Free consultation service through The Guidance Center regarding children (infant to 5 years of age) at risk of being expelled from independent child-care centers and preschools.

Community Resource Centers; 1-734-785-7700, ext. 7053
The centers, operated by The Guidance Center, serve families through a resource library, parent/child play groups, parent interest groups, infant massage classes, workshops and a lending library with books and "literacy bags," toys, games and videos, after-school programming, summer camps and parenting workshops. There are sites in Flat Rock, Lincoln Park, River Rouge, Romulus, Southgate, Taylor and Van Buren Township.