Blog Classic Full Content

Detroit, MI – For personal reasons, Nicole Wells Stallworth has made the decision to step down from the position of President & CEO at the Children’s Center. We respect her decision and wish her the best in the future.

The Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Desiree Jennings as the new CEO. With a distinguished career at The Children’s Center since 2010, where she served in key executive roles, including Chief Sustainability & People Officer, Desiree is uniquely prepared to guide the organization through its next growth phase.

Under the leadership of former CEOs Debora Matthews and Nicole Wells Stallworth, Desiree has played a pivotal role in strategic initiatives and brings a wealth of experience in operational management, finance, and personnel management. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Business, equipping her with the knowledge and skills to drive the organization’s mission forward.

Elizabeth Agius, Board Chair of the Children’s Center, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “With her passion for children and families, her understanding of the challenges in mental health care, and her proven leadership qualities and vision, the Board is thrilled to have Desiree lead us into our next chapter. We are confident that Mrs. Jennings is the perfect choice for our organization, and we look forward to the positive impact she will have on the communities we serve.”

Desiree Jennings shared her vision for the future, saying, “I am humbled and honored to step into the role of CEO at The Children’s Center, an organization where I have dedicated much of my career. I am grateful for the support of our talented team and committed board. As we move forward, my primary focus will be on our mission to help children and families shape their own futures and supporting the team who work tirelessly to serve our families every day.”

It’s an absolute joy to see the smiles of children as their hope is realized and dreams are imagined. The Children’s Center is the place where that comes to life for so many of our families. That’s why it’s so important that we work in the most effective and expressive way to move forward in our mission.

I want to share two mission-focused moves with you. As you can see, the newsletter has a new look and feel. This precedes a larger brand refresh you will see in the coming months. Everything is softer and more vibrant, giving off youthful energy that reminds us that “the child is the center of it all.”

Next, for the greater part of my career, I worked to create a space where joy can thrive in Wayne County. And I have reached a place where I’d like to play a more complementary role. I will be retiring and passing the baton to another come this fall, but I will be here, cheering and championing the work through continued service joining your ranks as supporter.

The Children’s Center Summer Camp is meant to provide a respite for families with children experiencing mental and emotional impairments. With your assistance, children enjoy the camp experiences of social activities, education, arts and crafts, games, sports, swimming, gardening, healthy nutrition, exercise, lunch, field trips and more. Campers also make friends, build self-esteem all while enjoying a safe, non-judgmental atmosphere.

Children like K can be nominated by their staff person to attend the 5 weeklong day camp here at TCC and the impact is truly amazing to see. K had been diagnosed with autism disorder and was reported to have difficulties with his receptive and expressive language which significantly interferes with his social communication. Often, these difficulties lead other children to make inappropriate comments about the child with autism or dominate their conversations, in turn isolating the child that has been diagnosed.

There was great progress made by not only K but the other children at thiscamp. Every day, upon entering camp he immediately found white sheets of paper and a pencil, drawing cartoon themes throughout the day. While keeping K on track with all the activities that were offered at camp, the staff helped him explore other types of media for his artwork. The Sonic picture featured was drawn by K with permanent marker on a 4×4 inch tile and then coated with resin.

The turning point came when other campers witnessed K become agitated if his art materials were not immediately available after he participated in a camp activity. Staff noticed that when the groups changed rooms in camp, campers would make sure that K had his art supplies available, even carrying it along with them. They started looking out for him and sought him out for interactions. As K’s friendships grew, his need to create decreased as the camp progressed. Granted, the art did not go away, but it appeared as if his anxiety decreased, and his self-esteem and friendships flourished. We are thankful for everyone that allows more children like K to have the opportunities to create friendships, build self-esteem and work on communication skills with other children their age.

From December 5-14, 472 families joined us in our ‘winter wonderland’ to select gifts, stocking stuffers, books, hats & gloves, and blankets for all of the children ages 18 and under in their homes. Through this event, 1,349 children experienced the magic of the holiday season.  

This year’s Holiday Shop was made possible by the hands of 269 volunteers providing 1,266 hours of service!  Volunteers decked out in jingle bells, reindeer antlers, and Christmas lights registered parents & guardians for their shopping appointments, acted as personal shoppers, and kept our shelves stocked full of items to choose from. Thank you to the many individual volunteers that joined us, as well as volunteers from the following groups: 

3M
Ally Financial
Bon Bon Bon
Delta Dental
Detroit Chassis LLC
Detroit Manufacturing Systems
Detroit Tap Repertory
DTE
Ford Motor Company
Ilitch Charities
Kapnick Insurance Group
Lovasco Consulting Group
Mariner’s Church of Detroit
Metro Riverfront Optimist Club
Order of the Eastern Star – Dorothy Riley #189
Tau Beta Association
T-Mobile
w3r Consulting
Walgreens
Warby Parker
WSU Alpha Epsilon Phi
WSU Procurement & Strategic Sourcing Department

We would also express our gratitude to our Gold Level Supporters that made the 2022 Holiday Shop possible: 

It’s never too early to begin planning for next year!  If you’d like to be a part of the 2023 Holiday Shop, please contact Adrienne Polumbo at apolumbo@thechildrenscenter.com.