This week on One Detroit:

We’re putting the spotlight on people doing great things in the area. We’ll meet a father and son duo who turned their Michigan farm into a haven for rescued farm animals. A Detroit teacher encourages children to read. Plus, we’ll talk to a local couple who’s helping revitalize Southwest Detroit.

Barn Sanctuary, Michigan’s only certified animal refuge, gives farm animals a second chance

A farm in Washtenaw County called Barn Sanctuary has an uncommon mission, providing care for ailing farm animals. 

“We do everything that farming is except for the last part, taking the animals to the market,” said Dan McKernan, president and founder of Barn Sanctuary, who started the operation with his father Tom McKernan.  

Barn Sanctuary is included among a list of animal sanctuaries worldwide approved by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. There are just a few such certified sanctuaries in the Midwest and as of now Barn Sanctuary is the only one in Michigan. 

The McKernan family farm goes back almost a century-and-a-half, but when new developments started popping up nearby, they made the decision to do something different with their property. Dan McKernan had been working in the technology field in Texas when he heard about another sanctuary and brought the idea to his father. 

Barn Sanctuary began eight years ago as a nonprofit. At that time, Dan took to social media to raise money to finance and expand the operation. The farm takes care of animals big and small including cows, sheep, goats, donkeys, pigs, chickens, ducks and turkeys. About 140 animal residents call the sanctuary home. 

One Detroit’s Bill Kubota and photojournalist Scott Rensberger visited the farm to learn how the sanctuary works and hear the stories of some of the residents who will live out their time in a way few other farm animals do. 

Birdie’s Bookmobile spreads the joy of reading to Detroit children

Birdie’s Bookmobile hopes to inspire the next generation of readers. Launched in 2022, the literacy organization provides hundreds of books to schools, after-school programs and nonprofits across Detroit. Many of the books are written by Black, Indigenous and People of Color authors or feature Black and brown characters. 

“I want children here in the city to really enjoy reading as much as I did,” said Alyce Hartman, the founder of Birdie’s Bookmobile. As school librarians and school libraries have begun to disappear, Hartman fills a resource gap. Her efforts increase children’s access to physical books and promote the pleasures of reading, which could shape a student’s future success beyond classroom walls.  

Since Birdie’s Bookmobile was born, Hartman said she’s distributed more than 16,000 books. Hartman, a 55-year-old STEM and drama teacher at Detroit Prep, hopes to spark magical thinking in young readers, believing books are portals to creativity, cultures across time and place and potential careers.

One Detroit and BridgeDetroit contributor Eleanore Catolico shadowed Hartman as she delivered books and organized a mini-book fair at Voyageur Academy, a K-12 charter school in Southwest Detroit. Plus, Catolico tags along during Hartman’s book shopping trip at 27th Letter Books.

Local couple helps revitalize Southwest Detroit area where they grew up

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation estimates there are 900,000 small businesses in Michigan. AGI Construction in Southwest Detroit, founded and owned by business and life partners Luis Ali and Tanya Saldivar-Ali, is one of them. Since the company was created in 2008, they have been taking part in the revitalization of Southwest Detroit where they grew up, working on churches, schools and other small businesses in the area.

Together, they have renovated the cafeteria in the basement of Cristo Rey High School and a historic church that closed and is now home to First Latin American Baptist Church, a historic congregation itself. More recently, AGI opened its Design Build Green Hub in the Hubbard Richard neighborhood, a program that trains Southwest Detroiters in the building trades and contracting business.

Elsewhere in Southwest Detroit, along West Vernor Highway, there’s a new mixed-use development going up that will pass through the heart of these communities. It’s not an AGI project, but Saldivar-Ali said it’s an important milestone.

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, One Detroit’s Bill Kubota visits Southwest Detroit, which is known for its history and culture. He talks with Luis Ali and Tanya Saldivar-Ali about the area’s history and how new developments are revitalizing life and business in the area. 

Things to do around Detroit this weekend: January 3, 2025

Happy New Year! The new year brings a slate of new performances and art exhibits to enjoy in and around Detroit. “Six The Musical” will be performed at the Fisher Theatre, “Brahms x Radiohead” comes to Orchestra Hall, and The Encore Musical Theatre Company presents a production of “Annie.” Plus, check out the Winter Wonderland at Columbia Street presented by District Detroit and Chris Schanck’s “A Surreality” exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. Contributors Cecelia Sharpe and Haley Taylor share what’s coming up around the region on “One Detroit Weekend.”