A note from the Campaign Manager

For the last year I have worked as an advocate for survivors of domestic violence. One of the most influential moments I had in that role took place at a training I attended with other social service providers in the city. The trainer asked all of the attendees to share what they saw as their clients’ greatest needs. These were individuals who worked in public health, teaching, counseling, and legal aid. And yet, when asked, they overwhelmingly responded that the greatest need of their clients was safe, stable housing.

I believe this represents a major strength of Michele’s campaign. Her experience fighting for families facing tax foreclosure exemplifies her ability to hone in on the “big wins” that will create the greatest impact for the people she serves. But, even in this vital work, Michele has learned the importance of creating deeper change via policies at a state level, rather than continuing to band-aid the victims of a broken system. This is why when she asked me to join her campaign, I jumped at the opportunity. I don’t want to sit in a room full of social service providers a decade from now and still hear that the greatest need in Detroit, a city full of homes, is housing.

When I took this new role, one of the biggest surprises for me was the amount of money that it takes to run even a modest campaign like Michele’s. Though the literature required to knock on a door only amounts to 30 cents a piece, that number looks a lot larger when you consider that we need to knock on over 8000 doors, and hopefully do so more than once, if we’re going to reach the voters in our district. Would you consider helping our campaign to cover costs like these? We would be honored if you would participate in our end-of-year fundraiser. One thing we know is that candidates who show up with strong fundraising early in the race are taken more seriously by the competition and are more likely to receive the financial support of folks trying to direct their funds to the most viable candidate.

Regardless of a financial contribution, I want to thank all of your for your generous support of Michele’s campaign. We are off to a strong start and we look forward with excitement to 2018!

Best,

Lane Lewis, Campaign Manager