Motor City Blight Busters

[jared]

I volunteered on Saturday with Motor City Blight Busters to tear down a house in Northwest Detroit. To give you a little background, Blight Busters is a non-profit organization that stabilizes and revitalizes neighborhoods in Detroit by removing blight (like old vacant decrepit houses) and fixing up houses.

There were about 80 volunteers that were standing around in the morning faced with the task of destroying a 900 square foot house. Our tools? Sledge hammers, axes, shovels, gloves, crow bars, and house tear down thingies (don't know their name). The power is cut to the house and we go to work. There's a little bit of a plan but the basic premise is just to tear everything off the house and get it down to just the studs, floor, and the roof.

Once it's down to the main supports and the roof, John George (found of Blight Busters) hooks his truck up to the main supports with a chain, slams the truck into drive, and the house comes tumbling down. We then go to work tearing up the roof then getting to work on the foundation and basement (everything is removed). When it's all done, all that is left behind is a dirt lot. Everything is removed and the hole is filled in with dirt.

Everyone gets to take a hand at swinging the sledge hammers, axes, and tearing down the house. The main Blight Busters people are very helpful with volunteers and getting them involved. Instead of taking the approach of a handful of people that are used to the hard work and swinging sledge hammers, Blight Busters overwhelms the house with volunteers so everyone can take a swing and everyone can take a break (i.e. it's not back breaking work the whole day).

They're a great organization and it would be a cool volunteer opportunity for Detroit Iron or any other group. They make a huge difference in Detroit and you get to tear down houses. How much fun is that?