Through partnerships with Detroit shelters, employers, and volunteers, we create paid work opportunities that help people rebuild confidence, stability, and purpose.

How Better Way Detroit Works

Better Way Detroit offers meaningful, paid work opportunities to people experiencing homelessness in the Detroit area. Through partnerships with local shelters, community organizations, and worksites, we provide supervised employment, mentorship, and pathways to permanent jobs, helping participants rebuild confidence, dignity, and stability one day at a time.

Our model is simple but powerful, providing real wages, structured job training, and pathways to lasting employment.

The Program: A Better Way Forward

1. Where it Begins: Partner Shelters

Each participant begins their journey through one of our partner shelters, the first point of contact for those seeking stability. These shelters serve a diverse range of Detroiters, from young adults to returning citizens and families working to get back on their feet.

Covenant House Michigan logo featuring a white dove and a black hand on a blue background with the text.
Logo for COTS HOPE HELP HOUSING featuring a house outline, with the company abbreviation 'cots' inside, and colorful labels for hope, help, housing.
Logo of Pope Francis Center featuring a stylized sun with rays and a cross with a shepherd's crook in the center.
Logo of Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries with the initials DRMM and the tagline 'Rebuilding lives one at a time'.
A diverse group of nine people standing outdoors in front of a brick wall, dressed in casual and warm clothing.

Shelter managers identify residents ready for structured work. Once selected, participants complete paperwork, and we handle the rest: transportation, supervision, meals, and daily wages.

Become a BWD Shelter Partner

The heart of the program happens on-site, at community locations across Detroit that need extra hands, care, and energy. Participants work four days a week for three weeks, gaining on-the-job experience while earning fair, same-day pay.

2. Putting in the Work: Community Worksites

Each shift blends teamwork with mentorship. Lunch and snacks are provided daily, transportation is arranged, and staff supervisors ensure every participant feels seen, safe, and valued. The goal isn’t just a paycheck, it’s rebuilding confidence and work habits in a supportive environment.
Logo of Archdiocese of Detroit Catholic Schools featuring a stylized figure in front of three colorful circles
Logo of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Detroit, featuring a circular blue design with white text.
Logo of Capuchin Soup Kitchen showing a bowl with lines representing soup and the name underneath
Become a BWD Worksite Partner
Group of diverse people posing outdoors in a park-like setting, some smiling and making peace signs, with a sign that reads 'Better Way Detroit at work beautifying neighborhoods through a grant from DTE Foundation.'
Group of people planting flowers in a flower bed outside of Loyola High School on Pinehurst street.

3. Learning, Mentorship, and Growth

Every participant receives hands-on guidance from the Better Way Detroit team.
Our mentors help with résumé development, interview prep, and job search support, all while reinforcing the daily disciplines that build long-term success, punctuality, communication, and self-worth.

Each day ends with reflection, encouragement, and community, small but powerful moments that remind participants they’re not alone on this journey.

Become a BWD Volunteer

4. From Program to Permanence

At the end of each four-week session, we work directly with community partners, employers, and workforce programs to help participants transition into longer-term employment opportunities.

For many, Better Way Detroit is the first step toward stability, a place to regain footing, rebuild purpose, and believe in what’s next.

Two men are in an indoor setting, one standing and one sitting. The man standing is wearing a blue T-shirt, glasses, a navy cap with a yellow 'M' on it, and a silver necklace. The man sitting is holding a certificate and is wearing a gray hoodie with a tennis or sports team logo. They are shaking hands, and there is a table with a paper and pen in front of them.

Every story of transformation begins with someone who cares, and that’s the foundation of everything we do.

Read Our Stories
Become a BWD Employer Partner
A person with short, curly, red dreadlocks wearing glasses and a light-colored, patterned sweater, looking slightly to the side indoors.

You can dream. It’s OK to dream … and this is a great way to start

BWD Success Story, Renne Williams

Our Community Sponsors

Better Way Detroit’s impact depends on the generosity and collaboration of organizations across the city.

Our work is supported by:

  • Local churches through the Archdiocese of Detroit (AOD)

  • Businesses like Supino’s Pizza, Bob Maxey Ford, and ChemLabs

  • Foundations including Weingartz, Catholic Foundation of Michigan, Father Clement Kern Foundation, and DTE Energy

  • Many individual donors, volunteers, and family trusts

Together, we’re building a Better Way; one opportunity, one person, one day at a time.

Become a BWD Sponsor 
(Pictured: Father Marko and Bob Maxxey with BWD van which they have serviced for the past 4 years donating time, and money to our organization.)