New Year, New Home

Mike Morse Law Firm was proud to help build a new home for a Detroit mother and her family in need. We rolled up our sleeves, assisted with construction, and contributed funding for the project organized by Macomb County Habitat for Humanity.

April Chatman approached the front door of her new Warren home with her hands covering her face, tears already flowing. As her five children, friends, and volunteers looked on, she cut a red velvet ribbon that stretched across the doorway and stepped inside. More tears. It was a few days before Christmas, and the family finally had a home of their own.

“Thank you. Thank you all so much,” Chatman said as she walked from room to room.

The house was purchased with funds from Habitat For Humanity’s A Brush With Kindness program, gutted, and completely renovated by members of our team and others. Thanks to the generosity of volunteers and in-kind donations from several organizations and businesses, every room is move-in ready from the kitchen to the living room, the dining room, and bedrooms that sleep five. Our firm volunteered on-site, helping to remove debris, paint the walls, and rebuild the home’s interior by hand. We also provided funding for a complete kitchen renovation. This spring, we’ll have the driveway re-paved. I couldn’t be more proud of the way our firm stepped up to help.

April is a special woman. She and her teenage son embody the concepts of kindness, respect and selflessness. We first met them and got involved after hearing their story. Prior to becoming homeless, April was struggling to support her family, working full-time at a grocery store and living in a rented house in Detroit. It was there that her 17-year-old son, Armontay, put his own safety at risk to help a 16-year-old foster teen he befriended. Trevor was the only white student at school and Armontay protected him from being beaten by gang members. April also treated Trevor like one of her own, inviting him in and feeding him whatever she could. After Trevor was adopted, Helen Hicks, president and CEO of Macomb County Habitat for Humanity, learned about the family’s actions and started the process of finding them a suitable home.

“It has been an amazing journey,” said Hicks. “We’re so happy it all came together in time for Christmas.”

One of our core values at the Mike Morse Law Firm is giving back. Whether it’s supporting literacy programs, collecting diapers for struggling parents or helping students in need through our Project Backpack program, we are passionate about making a difference in our community. Thank you to all of our team members who volunteered and the other local companies who took part in this labor of love. We wish April and her family health and happiness as they begin the new year in their new home.

Content checked by Mike Morse, personal injury attorney with Mike Morse Injury Law Firm. Mike Morse is the founder of Mike Morse Law Firm, the largest personal injury law firm in Michigan. Since being founded in 1995, Mike Morse Law Firm has grown to 150 employees, served 25,000 clients, and collected more than $1 billion for victims of auto, truck and motorcycle accidents. The main office is in Southfield, MI but you can also find us in Detroit, Sterling Heights and many other locations.