Contact Us
Administrative Line
(734) 485-7658
Help Line
Furniture Line
Circles Line
(734) 485-7658
We are located at:
Friends In Deed
1196 Ecorse Road
Ypsilanti, MI. 48198
Meet the Staff
- Executive Director
- Office Manager
- Director of Service Programs
- Director of Operations
- Case Worker
- Development Associate
- Circles Director
- Circles Coach
Sarah Thornburg is our Executive Director, which means she’s responsible for just about everything at Friends In Deed. She supervises the staff and works with clients and volunteers alike. She also serves as the liaison to our board, generous donors and congregation/business partners. Sarah took over the Executive-Director reins from Helena Prince, who held the position for many years.
Sarah started in April, 2011 after holding increasing positions of responsibility at other non-profit organizations. Sarah loves that Friends In Deed’s mission allows the organization to change to accommodate the needs in the community. She also loves working with the amazing people – staff, board, volunteers, donors – who are the friends of Friends In Deed. “These volunteers blow my mind; I’ve never seen people with their level of commitment.” Personally, Sarah’s “claim to fame” is her grandson, Morgan.
Jane Slider is our office manager.
Joye is in charge of the Transportation, Furniture, and Direct Assistance programs here at Friends In Deed after serving as the case worker for a couple years.
Joye’s ability to empathize with her clients is reflected in her work history. Aside from a brief stint as a paralegal, Joye has always been attracted to the human services field. Her first job was as a daycare preschool teacher. She also spent 10 years rehabbing people suffering from traumatic brain injury.
She also worked on a helpline through her prior job as a Housing Resource Specialist at Housing Access of Washtenaw County (HAWC). While Joye already knew the difficulties families faced finding housing after a setback like eviction, her experience with the FID Helpline gave her insight into all of the other struggles faced by low-income families in our community.
Joye is married and lives with her husband, her 8-year-old stepson, 12-year-old daughter and new puppy in Ypsilanti.
Glory Hoffman is originally from Colombia, South America and moved to the US in 2003. She has two amazing daughters and one very spoiled hamster named Mellow.
Glory’s first exposure to Friends In Deed was through the Circle’s Program.
She has a Bachelors in Marketing and Advertising, and over 10 years of experience in the insurance industry, retail, and management.
Before coming to the agency Glory owned and ran a Decoration Design store for over 7 years. She enjoys creative outlets like art, music, and architecture, she is an avid reader with psychology, history and entrepreneurship being her very favorite subjects. She also enjoys traveling, meeting people, spending time with her family, and cooking.
Glory hopes to bring her experience, passion, diverse background, and work ethic to her role as Operations Director and aspires to contribute to the agency’s growth.
Kia was born and raised in Detroit. She decided to move out of state to Missouri in 2007, where she spent a little less then a decade. She soon realized that she missed her family and returned to Michigan. She spent some time looking around the neighboring cities, but found herself residing comfortably in Ypsilanti. It was just the right fit.
After receiving help from our Direct Assistance program, Kia looked into our Circles program. It ended up being a good fit for her needs, so she started on the program’s 18-month journey.
Kia was working at a nursing home at the beginning of the pandemic. While she enjoyed the work, she wanted something different. She also wanted something that would allow her to spend time with her daughters, and Friends In Deed’s flexible schedule would allow her to do just that.
Kia has an 11-year-old daughter named Nya, as well as a beautiful baby daughter named Nova.
Amtheyst is our Development Associate, working directly under the Director of Communications/Development. They found Friends In Deed when they were working on their college Capstone project, returned as an AmeriCorps VISTA in 2018, and became an official employee in 2019. So far, they say that “this has been an amazing experience!”
Amtheyst was born in North Carolina, lived in Ohio for some of their childhood before moving to Michigan to kick off their higher education. They graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a bachelor’s in French and Communication.
They are an avid reader and will always take the time to talk about the two to three books they’re reading. Outside of the office, Amtheyst can often be found watching horror movies or doing craft nights with their friends.
Tracey Hoesch joins the Friends In Deed team bringing her passion for community development as well as her background in English, Communication and Social Work. She lives on North Campus in Ann Arbor with her partner and two children.
Carla Wilson, MSW is a retired Correction Deputy from the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department. In 2006 she founded Connection Principle PLLC in order to make a difference in the lives of those working through adversity. She is a certified life coach, inspirational speaker, guided meditation facilitator, social worker and author. Carla has spent many years working within Washtenaw County’s recovering community, MDOC’s returning citizen’s, and homeless population. She has gained boundless experience in helping individuals live their best lives.
After returning to the criminal justice system as a mental health provider and employment counselor for the Michigan Department of Corrections, Carla realized that her passion was in alignment with the mission of the Friends in Deed’s Circle’s program. Carla’s objective at this time is to continue to make a difference with like-minded souls.
Board of Directors
There are many, many people who help Friends In Deed (FID) help those in need, not the least of which are our generous donors and volunteers. That being said, there a several people responsible for FID’s continued operation and future direction. The people who make up the Board of Directors of Friends In Deed donate their time, resources and expertise to the organization.
- Danielle Milner (President)
- Kristin Gapske (Vice President)
- Mike Klar (Treasurer)
- Gary Stahl (Secretary)
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- Alexandra Dieck
- Alisha Spencer
- Cheryl Harvey
- David Pate
- Joy Adams
- Mike Frison
- Najma Treadwell
- Nivean Farha
- Phil Geyer
- Trevor Barker
Who We Are
Our History
For 40 years, we’ve worked to help our neighbors in need by filling in the cracks of assistance offered by other organizations and nonprofits in the community. We evolved from the efforts of Polly Helmke and Libby Hillegonds, who brought together a group of people to study the Love Inc. model back in 1982. With the support of several local congregations, the group eventually pooled their ideas about the services needed by the Washtenaw County community and created Friends In Deed.
Humble Beginnings
The doors opened on June 5, 1983, with a volunteer staff in donated office space: 64 N. Huron Street in Ypsilanti. While requests for assistance started pouring in almost immediately, the organization didn’t have its first paid position until 1985, when Barbara Beesley accepted a part-time position as program director. As the organization grew over the next few years to serve more people, the staff grew as well. In 1988, Helena Prince was hired as a part-time casework manager.
Adaptive Service Programs
Friends In Deed’s mandate has always been to fill in the cracks of service offered by the other organizations and nonprofits in the community, which means Friends In Deed’s services have changed and evolved over the years. For instance, at times during the organization’s history, Friends In Deed offered an appliance repair program and eviction-prevention program. It also offered parenting workshops, new mom’s support groups, financial management training and a car-care clinic.
The late 1990s was the time period during which several services and programs were initiated that continue to this day, including the car repair program, furniture program, How-to-Help Seminar, and resource guides.
Congregational Support
While the Direct Assistance and Furniture programs continued to grow over the years, so, too, did Friends In Deed’s congregational support. By the early 2000s, Friends In Deed had a network of 47 congregations that supported us financially and with volunteers.
Office and Warehouse Facilities
This growth eventually resulted in the need to consolidate Friends In Deed’s operations and warehouse. A capital campaign was created in 2007 with the goal of raising $300,000 to purchase, renovate and equip a building: 1196 Ecorse Road in Ypsilanti. Friends In Deed moved into the facility in December of 2008. Through the generous donations and pledges from the Board of Directors, the capital campaign was completed and the mortgage retired in early 2011.
Moving Forward
Helena Prince retired in 2011, and Sarah Thornburg was hired as the new Executive Director. The mission at Friends In Deed continues to adapt to the needs of the community. We look forward to the next 30 years of serving Washtenaw County.
In 2017, Friends In Deed implemented Circles Washtenaw, a new program that works to lift families out of poverty by matching low-income heads of households (Leaders) with two middle- to high-income volunteers (Allies) for 18 months.
Anti-Racism
Friends In Deed is an anti-racist organization. We recognize racial injustice exists and continues in our community. We commit to identifying systemic oppression, microaggressions and other actions which perpetuate injustice both in our community and within our organization. We will confront issues of racism that arise either in our community or internally within the Friends In Deed organization. We will work to combat systemic barriers to opportunity for those we serve through our programs. Friends In Deed is committed to standing against any form of racism or ethnic oppression.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
Friends In Deed is an organization that strives to be connected to our community, where everyone is included, and where we are willing to take on the tough questions and issues. We are committed to employing a diverse staff of individuals who join us in those goals. We are committed to engaging a diverse group of individuals for our Board of Directors. We welcome all people to our work and in all of our conversations, because everyone has a voice and deserves to be heard. We believe that equity is critical for all people to live successfully. These values are in our agency’s DNA, and we live them out every day in our workplace culture and in all the work we do together to Help people in need; and build community to end poverty.