A new Detroit-based initiative is taking aim at a longstanding barrier to employment for skilled trades workers: access to reliable transportation.

Drive Detroit, a referral-based program launching this summer, is designed to help Detroit’s skilled trades workers find and keep a car so they can get to work, stay employed, and grow in their careers. By offering access to affordable auto loans, mini-grants, and long-term support, the program is tailored to meet the real-world needs of workers whose jobs often require early hours, long commutes, and access to vehicles that can carry tools and materials.

“We’ve been working to support individuals in the skilled trades for over 16 years, and transportation has been a consistent barrier,” said Eva Garza Dewaelsche, President and CEO of SER Metro-Detroit, which administers the program. “Drive Detroit is an exciting new opportunity to address this challenge—helping our community members get to work and advance their careers.”

Drive Detroit is a collaboration between SER Metro-Detroit, One Detroit Credit Union, The Ownership Initiative, and a network of local partners. The initiative was made possible by funding from the Mandell and Madeleine Berman Foundation and the Gilbert Family Foundation, both of which are deeply invested in creating pathways to economic mobility for Detroiters.

Holistic Support for Long-Term Success

What sets Drive Detroit apart is the wraparound support it offers.  Participants are referred into the program by community-based organizations and trade unions and are offered:

  • Access to flexible, low-cost auto loans through a new lending product developed by One Detroit Credit Union
  • Two years of one-on-one support, including financial coaching and help navigating community resources
  • Mini-grants to cover urgent expenses, such as car repairs or missed payments

This approach is meant to ensure participants don’t just secure a car—they’re supported in keeping it and using it to build a stable career.

Portia Powell, President & CEO of One Detroit Credit Union, emphasized the impact of this model: “One Detroit is celebrating 90 years of serving Metro Detroit, and the Drive Detroit program exemplifies our dedication to impacting and changing lives. Through strategic collaboration and support, this initiative will empower Detroiters in the skilled trades with the resources they need to achieve lasting employment.”

Philanthropy Meets Workforce Strategy

For the Mandell and Madeleine Berman Foundation, Drive Detroit reflects a growing focus on vocational training and workforce access. This Foundation has been active in the Detroit area for more than fifty years. In recent years Ann and Jon Berman have built on their family legacy by investing in the arts, animal rescue, and organizations for hunger relief, as well as in institutions working to strengthen Jewish life and innovate in Jewish research and education. As part of the foundation’s investment in education for underserved Detroiters, access to vocational training, especially in the skilled trades, has become a central focus of giving, leading to the Berman’s idea of creating this initiative.

“The Berman Foundation is proud to have launched Drive Detroit,” said Ann Berman, Chair of the Foundation. “We have long been aware of the transportation difficulties faced by Detroiters in the skilled trades, and we believe this new collaboration will be part of the solution.”

The Gilbert Family Foundation, also a funder of the initiative, views Drive Detroit as aligned with its broader mission of removing systemic barriers for Detroit residents.

“Detroit’s continued growth hinges on expanded access to jobs in the skilled trades,” said Darnell Adams, Vice President of Detroit Community Initiatives at the Foundation. “By ensuring access to essentials like transportation, we’re backing the builders who bring new life to our communities and laying the groundwork for stronger neighborhoods and business corridors.”

A Network of Community Partners

Drive Detroit’s first cohort of referral partners includes the City of Detroit, Step One at Cornerstone Schools, United Way for Southeastern Michigan, and the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights (MRCCM). These organizations help identify eligible participants, connect them to financial education, and provide job placement support.

For Leah Gordon, MRCCM’s Statewide Director of Community Relations, the link between transportation and workforce development is clear: “Drive Detroit is a solution to a long-term barrier to building a strong workforce. Reliable transportation means consistent work for our apprentices.”

The program is also grounded in research. Krysta Pate, Founder & CEO of The Ownership Initiative, helped shape Drive Detroit through community engagement and program design rooted in local context. “Drive Detroit is rooted in research and shaped by community vision,” said Pate. “When Detroiters can reliably get to work, they can fully participate in rebuilding this city—and unlock real pathways to economic mobility.”

Learn More

To learn more about the program, visit www.drivedetroit.org.