History

In 1980, Pastor Larry Smith opened the Charles H. Williams Human Development Center, a soup kitchen on Meyers Rd. in Detroit. This community resource fed over 200 people weekly for 11 years. The center also distributed clothing and provided AA and NA meetings to people recovering from substance abuse disorder.  After moving his church to West Eight Mile Rd. in Detroit, Pastor Smith wanted to continue to feed and clothe the hungry and homeless. His daughter Tawnya Morris took the lead and held a series of focus group sessions to better understand the community’s needs. After school programs that dealt with violence and substance abuse prevention were a top priority. Homework help and other training and support programs to keep kids off the streets and in a safe environment were desired as well.

Pastor Smith encouraged his daughter to start a new nonprofit that would best meet the needs of the community. Mrs. Morris sought the help of various church, business and community leaders to help in planning the mission and vision of a new organization. In 1998, Mrs. Morris created the Abayomi Community Development Corporation.

“Abayomi”, a term from the Yoruba tribe in West Africa which means “a pleasant meeting place”, pronounced a-ba-yo-mee, is a 501(c)(3) human services nonprofit organization serving the metropolitan Detroit area. Abayomi provides community & economic development, education, and recreation programs to youth and families in the far Northwest and metropolitan Detroit. Our goals are to establish an awareness of the value of family, improve socioeconomic conditions and increase the level of dignity and personal achievement within the Detroit community.

Mission

To strengthen and secure families and the local community through comprehensive community building.

Vision

Abayomi envisions being an established, fiscally sound, recognized organization, which impacts the community with quantifiable, positive results.

Values

The board and staff of Abayomi Community Development Corporation value F.A.M.I.L.I.E.S.

Fairness – We believe in fairness and equality for all mankind.

Assistance – We believe in providing services and sharing resources that help meet the needs of our clients.

Morality – We value high moral character as it enables individuals to behave properly, act responsibly and make good decisions.

Improvement – We will continuously work to improve the quality and effectiveness of our programs and services with a goal of achieving positive impact and outcomes for our clients.

Love – Love represents human kindness, compassion and affection. Treating our clients with love demonstrates our care and concern for them and their families.

Involvement – We are involved in our community and support efforts to keep it safe, clean and livable.

Enrichment – We work with individuals and families to help enhance and improve their lives.

Security – Our motto is Building Families For the Future. Stronger, more secure families lead to safer more secure neighborhoods.

Accreditation

COA Accreditation is an objective and reliable verification that provides confidence and support to an organization’s service recipients, Board members, and staff and community partners.

COA’s commitment to maintaining the highest level of standards and quality improvement is designed to identify providers that have set high performance standards for themselves and have made a commitment to their constituents to deliver the highest quality services. COA is proud to recognize Abayomi CDC as one of these outstanding organizations.

The COA Accreditation process involves a detailed review and analysis of both an organization’s administrative operations and its service delivery practices. All are “measured” against national standards of best practice. These standards emphasize services that are accessible, appropriate, culturally responsive, evidence based, and outcomes-orientated. In addition, they confirm that the services are provided by a skilled and supportive workforce and that all individuals are treated with dignity and respect.

Because COA reviews and accredits the entire organization, not just specific programs, you can have confidence in the credibility, integrity and achievement of the entire organization.