We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tamara Klida. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tamara below.
Tamara, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about serving the underserved.
One Week, One Street is an annual revitalization effort using volunteers from the Great Lakes Region Churches, businesses and other organizations with funding through grants and donations from area businesses, churches and foundations. Saginaw, particularly the east side, has been underserved and struggling for many years and resources siphoned away. The goal of One Week, One Street is to love our neighbors by painting homes, repairing porches, trimming trees, clearing vacant lots and landscaping. We hope that through these acts of service and resources we can help maintain home values, increase home ownership, decrease blight, and improve the overall physical landscape of neighborhoods.
Tamara, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Over the past 10 years, in the Saginaw High neighborhood, 245 homes have been improved, a park built with 2 playscapes and pavilion, 76 porches repaired and more. Pastor Roy Baldwin, CEO of New Beginnings Enrichment Center and One Week, One Street non-profit, have a church and community center in the neighborhood serving and helping people through ministry and service. We have members of our team that were once residents that received services and are now helping others as volunteers each year. From 2011-2016, according to MI State Police data, there was an 80% decrease in crime in the Saginaw High neighborhood. Our goal is to share God’s love by helping and loving our neighbors. Serving is what the church is commanded and expected to do. If the church, or Christians, don’t do this, who will?
People can find us on Facebook at One Week, One Street
Email us at [email protected] for questions
How’d you meet your business partner?
When I felt called to start a local mission project, I didn’t have any connections to people in Saginaw. I prayed that I would meet a pastor that was already ministering to people in the community and had a heart for service. In 2012, I was at an informational grant meeting at the Saginaw Community Foundation with about 35 others interested in funding sources, when Pastor Roy Baldwin and his daughter, Arshen Baldwin, were also at the meeting. When they introduced themselves I just knew that I needed to talk with them. So, after the meeting I went right over and shared what I was being called to do and Pastor Roy said he and his wife Evelyn had the same vision. On top of that, their church was located right in the heart of the Saginaw High neighborhood where I felt lead to help. That’s when we started planning our first revitalization effort f 2013.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
Funding for One Week, One Street involves writing grants to the Saginaw Community Foundation. Also, reaching out to area businesses, like Burt Watson Chevrolet, to help purchase the t-shirts for our volunteers. We partner with Home Depot, Thomas Township who helps us with ordering and provides discounts on materials. Financial Plus Credit Union, formerly Wanigas Credit Union, has been generously supporting our project for nine years. Tri Star Bank, has supported us this year also. Isabella Bank, GBU Financial, and DeShano Community Foundation. Jack’s Tree service has provided discounted professional tree service for the past 7 years. We also rely on churches for their volunteers, donations, and providing lunches for our volunteers. United Church of Christ, Midland, Blessed Sacrament Parish, Midland, First United Methodist Church, Midland, Peace Lutheran Saginaw, Hopevale, Shield of Faith, Auburn United Methodist Church, Holy Spirit Parish, Saginaw, St. Agnes Parish, Freeland, Saginaw Valley Church of the Nazarene, Saginaw. Eastern Stars and Bavarian Inn are also providing food for our volunteers. We couldn’t do any of this without the help and support of so many organizations, banks, and churches. 
Contact Info:
- Facebook: One Week, One Street
Image Credits
Monique Turner