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Focus: HOPE is a Detroit-based, non-denominational, non-profit organization whose aim is to overcome racism and poverty by providing education and training for underrepresented minorities and others. The organization is a public foundation under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code. ==Founders and Origins== Focus: HOPE was established in Detroit, Michigan in March, 1968 by co-founders Father William T. Cunningham, Father Jerome Fraser and Eleanor Josaitis. At the time the social environment in northern Detroit was one of severe racial tension as a result of the 12th Street Riot of the previous summer. The co-founders’ objective was to create a harmonious community where diverse people live and work together. Starting out in the basement of the Catholic Church of Madonna, where Father Cunningham was pastor, Focus: HOPE eventually grew to encompass a campus along Oakman Boulevard in Detroit. Despite its origins, however, Focus: HOPE has no affiliation with the Catholic Church. Focus: HOPE’s first significant action was a consumer survey on the disparity of food and prescription drug prices between inner-city Detroit and the surrounding suburbs. The survey was conducted in April, 1968 and was aimed at answering three questions: • Do the poor pay more? • Does skin color affect service? • Are facilities and products equal for inner city and suburban shoppers? The survey was designed with the help of local universities, government agencies and private firms. Focus: HOPE recruited 403 women from the city and surrounding suburbs to shop for a prescribed list of items at various chain and independent stores throughout the Detroit area. The findings of the survey were that people in poor, inner-city areas paid roughly 20% more for groceries and prescription drugs than people in the more affluent suburbs〔Focus: HOPE Consumer Survey on Food and Drugs, Sep. 1968. The Focus: HOPE Collection: Records, Wayne State University Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor & Urban Affairs〕 Furthermore, survey participants reported inferior quality and service in the inner-city stores.〔Blonston, Gary (1968, Sep. 5). Detroit Poor Charged More. The Detroit Free Press, pg 2-A.〕 The consumer survey was instrumental in Focus: HOPE becoming the host agency for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program for the Detroit/Wayne County, MI region.〔The Focus: HOPE Collection: Records, Wayne State University Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor & Urban Affairs〕 In 1972 Focus: HOPE formed a coalition opposing the relocation of the Automobile Association of America of Michigan’s headquarters from the city of Detroit to Dearborn, a suburb of Detroit in which the black population was less than 0.02%.〔Mitchell, William (1972, Dec. 5). Civil Rights Group Fights AAA Move. The Detroit Free Press, pp. 3-A, 9-A.〕 After an injunction against the move was denied Focus: HOPE filed a class action suit against AAA on behalf of its black employees alleging racial motivation for the move. The lawsuit, “Bell et al. vs. The Automobile Club of Michigan, et al.” claimed that the relocation would force 200 black employees of AAA to leave their jobs due to the unavailability of public transportation to or affordable housing in the city of Dearborn.〔Mitchell, William (1972, Dec. 5). Civil Rights Group Fights AAA Move. The Detroit Free Press, pp. 3-A, 9-A.〕 Shortly after the lawsuit was filed a federal judge ruled that Focus: HOPE had no standing in the case, since the organization itself had not suffered any damages.〔Ewald, Tom. (1977, Oct. 28). Auto Club’s ‘Book of Blacks’ Reveals Racism. The Michigan Catholic.〕 For the duration of the case, however, the majority of the financial support of the legal action against AAA was provided by Focus: HOPE.〔Bulgier, Chester (1978, Apr. 13). Judge is rough on AAA in suit on office move. The Detroit News. pg. 4-E.〕 In February 1983 a settlement was reached between AAA and the plaintiffs for a substantial cash amount and a court-enforced affirmative action program to be implemented by AAA.〔Lochbiler, Peter R. (1983, Feb. 8). AAA settlement in race-bias suit is $4.7-million. The Detroit News.〕 The Housing and Transportation Trust fund was formed with part of the cash settlement for the purpose of providing low-interest mortgages and automobile loans for black employees of AAA, with Focus: HOPE appointed by the court as trustor.〔Arthur Andersen & Co. (1987, Sep. 30). Financial Statements as of September 30, 1987 - Focus: HOPE: Notes to financial statements. The Focus: HOPE Collection: Records, Wayne State University Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor & Urban Affairs.〕 In the same timeframe a second lawsuit against AAA was also funded in large part by Focus: HOPE. “Greenspan, et al. vs. The Automobile Club of Michigan, et al.”, was a gender discrimination class action fought on behalf of 7,000 female employees. The lawsuit branched off of the “Bell” case in 1974 and the trial concluded in December 1979.〔Hindes, Martha (1979, Dec. 23). Auto Club sex-bias trial ends. The Detroit News. pp. 1B, 6B.〕 In February of the following year AAA was found guilty of discriminatory compensation and job-promotion practices.〔Stuart, Reginald (1980, Feb. 15). Michigan auto club held guilty of bias. The New York Times.〕 Focus: HOPE's first major program was the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, a federal program to fight malnutrition in infants and young children. The co-founders revived the program in the early 1970s and led the effort to include low-income senior citizens. The Commodity Supplemental Food Program currently assists 500,000 people nationwide, with Focus: HOPE serving 42,000 in metropolitan Detroit – the program’s largest component, with monthly distributions of food. When Father Cunningham approached the owners of a closing machine tool plant, seeking to expand the parking lot for the Oakman Blvd. food distribution center, he observed that the plant’s machinists were predominantly older, white males. Subsequent research showed that very few minorities or women were employed in the metalworking industry and that much of the workforce was nearing retirement age. The opportunity to create a means for helping area minorities trapped in welfare and low-paying jobs escape from poverty was clear and Focus: HOPE purchased the closing plant. Father Cunningham was able to convince the U.S. Department of Defense that the shortage in qualified machinists was cause for national security concerns. With the help of Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, Focus: HOPE obtained loans of surplus machine tool equipment from the government along with a federal grant and donations from various private organizations and established the Machinist Training Institute (MTI) in 1981.〔The Aspen Institute. (2000, December). Focus: HOPE. A case study of a sectoral employment development approach. (ISBN-0-89843-306-1). Washington, DC: Author.〕 With industry layoffs hindering the job placement of some of the first MTI graduates, Father Cunningham and General Motors President James McDonald came to an agreement in which Focus: HOPE would be given a small production contract, enabling Focus: HOPE to hire the remaining graduates. Thus, F & H Metalcrafting was established.〔The Aspen Institute. (2000, December). Focus: HOPE. A case study of a sectoral employment development approach. (ISBN-0-89843-306-1). Washington, DC: Author.〕 In the following years, Focus: HOPE acquired more industrial space along Oakman Blvd. through purchases and donations. Additional manufacturing operations were started as sources of revenue, to provide employment for single mothers and to foster minority business ownership. These manufacturing operations earned QS9000 certification and served the automotive companies as tier-one suppliers.〔The Aspen Institute. (2000, December). Focus: HOPE. A case study of a sectoral employment development approach. (ISBN-0-89843-306-1). Washington, DC: Author.〕 The “Industry Mall”, as the Oakman Blvd. industrial complex came to be known, included MTI, facilities for its manufacturing operations, medical and day-care centers and other industrial space for lease. On July 2, 1997, just weeks after the passing of Father Cunningham, a tornado caused severe damage to buildings on the Focus: HOPE campus and to several homes in the surrounding neighborhood. The wreckage of one building was cleared to make way for a park, dedicated to the memory of Father Cunningham and his vision of racial harmony. Focus: HOPE Park is tucked between two Oakman Blvd. buildings and is open to the public, with regular community gatherings hosted by Focus: HOPE. Focus: HOPE’s automotive parts manufacturing operations were phased out in 2005 due to the steady decline in production by the U.S. automotive industry.〔Kozlowski, Kim (2008, March 26). Focus: Fundraising. Nonprofit running on low budget as job training enrollment rises. The Detroit News. pg. 1B.〕 Among Focus: HOPE’s current operations are the Commodity Supplemental Food Program; technical training programs – Fast Track, The Machinist Training Institute (MTI), The Center for Advanced Technologies (CAT) and The Information Technologies Center (ITC) – collectively known as “The Centers for Opportunity”; a child-care center; a community arts program; and community and economic development activities. Focus: HOPE hosts the annual WALK for Diversity through varying Detroit neighborhoods. Inspired by the peaceful demonstrations of Martin Luther King Jr., the WALK for Diversity is an event that brings together people of different races and cultural backgrounds. Focus: HOPE is active in neighborhood improvement efforts such as blight removal, illegal dumping prevention and park restoration. Two recent community development efforts include the construction of a new housing facility for low-income seniors, in partnership with Presbyterian Villages of Michigan,〔Kozlowski, Kim (2008, March 26). Focus: Fundraising. Nonprofit running on low budget as job training enrollment rises. The Detroit News. pg. 1B.〕 and a new neighboring park. The Focus: HOPE logo represents brotherhood and racial cooperation. It depicts two hands, one black and one white, reaching out for one another with the hope that one day they will touch. Through its endeavor, Focus: HOPE helps struggling families by providing resources that communities could not afford otherwise. On November 3, 2008, William F. Jones, Jr. was named Chief Executive Officer of Focus: HOPE effective January 1, 2009.〔Focus:HOPE names new CEO. Detroit Free Press (Online). (Retrieved November 3, 2008 Freep.com )〕 Jones recently retired as Chief Operating Officer of Chrysler Financial. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Focus: HOPE」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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