Neighbors gather for annual block parties

By Laura Hipshire
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

It’s the little touches that turn communities into fullfledged neighborhoods, and one Dearborn community that more than 1,200 folks call home is no exception.

In the past, new Henry Ford Village community members were officially welcomed to their new homes with tea parties. These days, the tea parties have evolved into block parties.

“Each year we have one block party for each residence building,” says Community Resources Coordinator Myra McInerney, who developed the concept based on the block parties she attended growing up on Ash Street in Wyandotte.

“We would close off the street, and it was potluck. It was a nice chance to chat with neighbors that you often only waved at all year long,” she says.

Recently, Henry Ford Village kicked off the official block party season with a celebration tailor-made for one special neighborhood, the Hampton Square residence building. The parties are chock-full of friendship, food, and fun as community and staff members gather together.

Block parties give back to the community
Tempting trays of fresh fruit, cheese, crackers, and soft drinks greet guests as they make their way into the party. In addition to meeting neighbors—longstanding and new—people also take the opportunity to donate to a charitable organization. This party featured St. Leo’s Soup Kitchen in Detroit, and guests brought non-perishable donations to the party.

Guest speaker Daretta Williams, the director of St. Leo’s Soup Kitchen, told the crowd: “We feed 200 to 300 people every day, five times a week. It’s a big, big job.

“You have been friends of ours for a very long time now—you were the first to give us books for our library. We depend largely on volunteers to help us. Thank you so much.”