Our Mission

Our Story:

YouthWorks-Detroit (YWD) was founded in 1995 as a summer job and internship program by two middle school teachers, Stan Mathay and David O’Connor. While working in the city, they witnessed the effects of decades of discrimination and division. They longed to see unity, reconciliation and justice, and they believed the power of relationship could play a pivotal role in seeing this vision unfold.

Members of a global Christian brotherhood, Stan and Dave invited college-age young people from around the world to spend their summer working in the city alongside Detroit youth. The results were profound. Walls crumbled, relationships were built and young people from all four corners of the globe forged deep bonds, each catching a glimpse of the transformative power of community.

Though it began with a single summer program, a movement began to develop that saw a diverse array of individuals working to run year-round programming for Detroit youth. Every member of the YWD staff seeks to live incarnationally by both engaging the city’s young people through dynamic afterschool and summer programming, and walking alongside them in consistent mentoring relationships. Whether through art projects, pick-up basketball, summer jobs, camping trips, small groups or service-learning opportunities, we are steadfast in our commitment to equipping our youth for the fullness of life (John 10:10).

For years, we rented space around the city to run our programs. But in 2017 we acquired our own building and property, affectionately called “The Resurrection House” or The Rez. Now based in the 48206, our family has grown to include lifelong-Detroiters, YWD program alumni, transplants to the city, as well as global interns and volunteers. Together we accompany the Spirit’s work in our neighborhood, seeking to empower Detroit youth so they may know and walk fully in the beauty of who God created them to be.