Opportunities From: United Way for Southeastern Michigan

Brilliant Cities is a neighborhood-powered model ensuring children 0-8 are school-ready, healthy, and supported. We do this by transforming houses into family-focused, community hubs and partner with organizations to coordinate research-based programs for children and families. These programs focus on education, health, and family support, giving young children and families what they need for a bright future.

Our O’Hair Park hub is celebrating sustainability with a special Earth Day event this April! Brilliant participants will enjoy a shared meal, outdoor fun, and creative activities focused on sustainability, including a flowerpot painting station, playdough sculpting, and a recycled collage project.

This event also marks the kick-off for the O’Hair Park Clean-Up on April 22nd, hosted by the O'Hair Park Community Association and Henry Ford High School. We warmly welcome volunteers who are passionate about sustainability to join us in making a positive impact on our Brilliant community!

Volunteers will have the opportunity to assist with setting up and managing activity stations, welcoming families and guiding them through sign-in, sharing information about Brilliant’s upcoming events and free summer day camp, and helping with event clean-up and breakdown.

As we get ready for our summer day camp, we’d love to welcome a volunteer group to help with an indoor and outdoor organization and beautification project. Volunteers will help organize totes and programming materials to ensure that they’re easily accessible for our hub staff, while also assisting with weeding garden beds, planting flowers, and refreshing our front and backyards for upcoming activities and events.

This effort will have a direct impact on our community engagement operations, creating a more organized space for staff and a more welcoming environment for our Brilliant participants. It’s also a great opportunity for a corporate group to come together for a meaningful morning or afternoon of service!

Brilliant Cities is a neighborhood-powered model ensuring children 0-8 are school-ready, healthy, and supported. We do this by transforming houses into family-focused, community hubs and partner with organizations to coordinate research-based programs for children and families. These programs focus on education, health, and family support, giving young children and families what they need for a bright future.

Brilliant Detroit is excited to partner with Firm Foundations of Hope to repair the wheelchair ramp at our Central hub, and we're seeking additional volunteers with experience using power tools and painting to help remove damaged wood, install new boards, and paint the ramp.

By joining this project, you’ll help make our Central hub more accessible for Brilliant participants and leave a lasting impact on a space that brings our community together!

Volunteers are needed on Tuesday, April 28th and Thursday, April 30th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Brilliant Detroit's McDougall-Hunt location is partnering with Bailey Park NDC for a community resource event focused on empowering individuals with the knowledge, tools, and support needed to take charge of their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. 'Know Your Health Day' aims to raise health awareness, promote early detection and prevention, and foster a culture of wellness, equipping participants to live healthier and more informed lives.

Volunteers will assist with event set-up, attendee and vendor registration, monitoring kids’ activity and mural stations, supporting the food tent, and helping with event breakdown. This event will be taking place from 1-5 p.m. at Bailey Park NDC. Volunteers interested in helping set-up should arrive at 11 a.m.

Brilliant Cities is a neighborhood-powered model ensuring children 0-8 are school-ready, healthy, and supported. We do this by transforming houses into family-focused, community hubs and partner with organizations to coordinate research-based programs for children and families. These programs focus on education, health, and family support, giving young children and families what they need for a bright future.

To date, Brilliant Cities has reached more than 24,000 children and caregivers, raising reading levels by an average of three grade levels per child. Since 2016, the model has expanded to 24 neighborhoods in Detroit, launched a hub in Pontiac, and is currently expanding to Philadelphia.

We’re inviting volunteers to join us in turning our mission into action. Whether reading one-on-one or with a group, painting a room, organizing our book library, or sorting in-kind donations, our hubs have meaningful volunteer opportunities that arise throughout the year, and we would love to welcome you!

Current volunteer opportunities

Brilliant Clothing Closet Organization 

Each Brilliant hub offers free clothing to families in need, helping build confidence and a sense of belonging by ensuring they have appropriate attire, which can be especially important for school success and positive social interactions. Clothing Closet volunteers impact our communities by helping to create an organized and welcoming space that supports smoother operations and makes clothing easily accessible for Brilliant participants. With support from hub staff, volunteers will review donated items for quality, condition, and seasonal fit, categorize them by type and size, and help create a department store style shopping experience for our community. This role involves standing, bending, reaching and moving around for most of the shift. Multiple locations and flexible scheduling available, please inquire.

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Brilliant Osborn Organization & Redesign 

Flexible scheduling; please inquire 

Our Osborn hub is preparing for a spring cleaning day to organize the free community clothing closet in the basement and sort and rearrange items stored in the garage. This effort will help ensure the hub’s spaces are accessible for regular programming, that our Brilliant families can easily navigate the clothing closet, and that everything is ready for our upcoming summer day camp. We're currently looking for a group of about 6-10 volunteers to join us, with half working in the garage and half in the basement. This project will involve moderate to heavy lifting.

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Brilliant Dexter-Linwood Basement Organization Project

Help create a welcoming and efficient space for our Brilliant participants! We're looking for volunteers to assist with organizing the basement of our Dexter-Linwood hub which is home to our free community clothing closet. Volunteers will assist with assembling shelving units, sorting totes, and organizing clothing by size. Your efforts will help us maintain a welcoming, clutter-free environment, making it easier for community members to access the resources they need. Flexible scheduling available; please inquire. (Volunteer groups welcome!)

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Brilliant Cody Rouge Hub Organization

We’re seeking volunteers to help organize our storage and programming areas. Tasks include assembling shelving units, and storing totes—some heavy lifting required. Your volunteer efforts will support smoother operations and ensure resources are accessible in a clutter-free environment. Flexible scheduling available; please inquire.

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Brilliant Brightmoor Organization & Redesign 

Our Brightmoor location is currently looking for volunteers to help organize basement rooms, assemble shelving units, and properly store totes to declutter and sort items. Volunteers will assist in creating storage solutions and ensuring our programming areas remain clean and functional. Tasks may include lifting and moving boxes, sorting supplies, and organizing materials. Volunteers are needed weekdays between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. (Volunteer groups welcome!)

Brilliant Cities is a neighborhood-powered model ensuring children 0-8 are school-ready, healthy, and supported. We do this by transforming houses into family-focused, community hubs and partner with organizations to coordinate research-based programs for children and families. These programs focus on education, health, and family support, giving young children and families what they need for a bright future.

To date, Brilliant Cities has reached more than 24,000 children and caregivers, raising reading levels by an average of three grade levels per child. Since 2016, the model has expanded to 24 neighborhoods in Detroit, launched a hub in Pontiac, and is currently expanding to Philadelphia.

We’re inviting volunteers to join us in turning our mission into action. Whether reading one-on-one or with a group, painting a room, organizing our book library, or sorting in-kind donations, our hubs have meaningful volunteer opportunities that arise throughout the year, and we would love to welcome you!

Below is a list of current volunteer opportunities available at our Pontiac location. To view our ongoing/flexible opportunities happening across all of our locations, please view our general opportunities page linked here. 

Current volunteer opportunities: 

Pontiac Community Baby Shower

Friday, May 1st, from 3:30-7 p.m.

Join us in celebrating the newest members of our Brilliant Pontiac Community! During this event, families will receive essential baby items and connect with valuable community resources designed to support them during this important transition. Our goal is to create a welcoming environment where families can build connections, access trusted support systems, and learn more about Brilliant’s programs and services. By bringing the community together, we aim to reduce the stress new parents often experience, increase their sense of preparedness, and ensure every baby in our community is welcomed into the world brilliantly! Volunteers will play a key role in making this event a success by helping with event setup, managing activity stations, welcoming families and assisting with sign-in, distributing food, and supporting event breakdown. Volunteer groups are especially encouraged to sign-up, as we anticipate hosting many families throughout the event.

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Monthly community dinners:

Next date: TBD

Brilliant Pontiac’s monthly community dinners offer a welcoming space for neighbors to connect over a shared meal, meaningful conversation, and a sense of belonging. These dinners are designed to strengthen community ties in a warm, inclusive environment. We are looking for volunteers to help set up the dinner area, welcome community members to our Brilliant Pontiac home, plate and serve food, manage fun and interactive child enrichment activities, and assist with cleanup by returning event materials to their original spaces.

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Clothing closet organization:

Flexible timing; please inquire

Brilliant Pontiac hosts a community clothing closet that provides free clothing to those in need, helping to boost self-esteem by allowing individuals to feel confident and included with appropriate attire. This is especially crucial for families facing clothing insecurity, as it can positively impact academic performance and social interactions. Volunteers are needed to help assess and organize clothing donations; some heavy lifting is required for this role. 

Join us in creating vibrant green spaces where learning and growing go hand in hand!

Brilliant Detroit hosts an annual summer camp across our neighborhood sites, offering outdoor educational programming that covers a wide range of topics—including literacy, science, nature exploration, and hands-on gardening. Each site features an education garden with several raised beds growing tomatoes, leafy greens, peppers, and more! We’re currently seeking volunteers of all experience levels who are interested in gardening to help us prepare our gardens for the upcoming summer camp season. 

Volunteer tasks may include:

This is a wonderful opportunity to:

Whether you’re an individual, a group of friends, or a family, you’re welcome to join! We’re especially looking for recurring volunteers who can commit to visiting their site once or twice a week; volunteers are not responsible for a daily watering schedule. 

By submitting your interest through this form, we will contact you via email to guide you through the volunteer onboarding process. Please be sure to specify which site you are interested in volunteering at when completing the form:

Brilliant Cities is a neighborhood-powered model ensuring children 0-8 are school-ready, healthy, and supported. We do this by transforming houses into family-focused, community hubs and partner with organizations to coordinate research-based programs for children and families. These programs focus on education, health, and family support, giving young children and families what they need for a bright future.

Our Brilliant hubs are offering the Scholastic R.E.A.L. (Read, Excel, Achieve, Lead) Program, an 8-week, literacy-focused mentoring initiative that uses high-quality, diverse books and companion guides to support children’s academic success through interactive read-alouds and book discussions.

As a R.E.A.L. mentor, you will promote:

…all of which lead to literacy success!

R.E.A.L. mentors will receive all Scholastic training materials, including Mentor Success Guides that correspond with each read-aloud book, as well as an orientation with our literacy programming lead. As the program progresses, students will receive take-home activities, family guides, and celebration materials to further enhance their engagement with the readings.

While a love for literacy is a must, no prior teaching experience is required. If you’re interested in facilitating read-aloud sessions and working with our Brilliant kids, we would love for you to join us in our upcoming R.E.A.L. program!

Program Requirements:

*Once you submit an interest form via Galaxy, a member of our Volunteer Team will reach out to you via email to go over the next steps in our onboarding and placement process.

Each year, the Brilliant Detroit team, along with participants and volunteers, gathers at our 18 operating neighborhood hubs to enhance our landscaping and cultivate flower and harvest gardens. These efforts reflect a season of renewal and growth, helping to beautify shared spaces while fostering community pride and environmental stewardship. It’s also an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to creating thriving neighborhoods where kids and families can succeed.

Tasks will vary depending on the site and time of the season; however, volunteers can expect to assist with weeding, planting flowers, collecting sticks and leaves, trimming overgrowth, mulching, and preparing garden beds. Materials will be provided, though we always appreciate volunteers who are interested in donating tools or bringing their own gloves.

If your group is interested in organizing a beautification project or hosting a collection drive, we would love the opportunity to partner with you in supporting and beautifying our Brilliant community! Please respond using this opportunity link, and a member of our Volunteer Team will reach out shortly to begin planning your project or coordinating your donation.

Join us in celebrating and supporting 60 expecting parents and their families from our Central Pod community, which includes four of our Brilliant hubs. Families will receive essential baby items and connect with valuable community resources designed to support them during this important transition.

Our goal is to create a welcoming environment where families can build connections, access trusted support systems, and learn more about Brilliant’s programs and services. By bringing the community together, we aim to reduce the stress new parents often experience, increase their sense of preparedness, and ensure every baby in our community is welcomed into the world brilliantly!

Volunteers will play a key role in making this event a success by helping with event setup, managing activity stations, welcoming families and assisting with sign-in, distributing food, and supporting event breakdown. Volunteer groups are especially encouraged to sign-up, as we anticipate hosting many families throughout the event.

Brilliant Cities is a neighborhood-powered model ensuring children 0-8 are school-ready, healthy, and supported. We do this by transforming houses into family-focused, community hubs and partner with organizations to coordinate research-based programs for children and families. These programs focus on education, health, and family support, giving young children and families what they need for a bright future.

Do you enjoy working with children and have a passion for literacy-based mentorship? Join us this semester in creating a supportive and empowering learning environment for Brilliant students!

The Homework Helper program offers focused, age-appropriate homework support to Brilliant Detroit and Pontiac students through 30- or 60-minute sessions. Homework Helpers assist students with assignments, reinforce essential classroom skills, and foster a calm, encouraging space where students can ask questions, build confidence, and successfully complete their work.

All available Homework Helper opportunities are listed below. After selecting your preferred opportunity, please submit an interest form through Galaxy. A member of our Volunteer Team will contact you via email with more details.

Current opportunities:

Brilliant Detroit, Cody Rouge Homework Help

Weekly, Mondays and Thursdays, from 4:30-6 p.m.

Begins Monday, January 12, 2026 and concludes Thursday, May 28, 2026

Our Cody Rouge hub is seeking two volunteers with strong educational backgrounds to support the Homework Helper program. A background in mathematics is especially desired.

Volunteer Role 1: Math-focused academic support

Volunteer Role 2: Reading, writing, and general homework support

Brilliant Detroit, Brightmoor Homework Help

Weekly, Mondays, from 4-5 p.m.

Brilliant Detroit, Martin Park Homework Help

Weekly, Mondays and Wednesdays, from 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Brilliant Detroit, Central Homework Help

Weekly, Tues-Thurs from 4-5 p.m.

Begins Tuesday, January 27, 2026 and concludes Tuesday, June 30, 2026

Our Martin Park and Central hubs are looking for additional volunteers to support Brilliant Detroit K-3 students with homework across multiple subjects. This role offers a meaningful mentoring opportunity, particularly for older students interested in guiding younger ones!

Brilliant Cities is a neighborhood-powered model ensuring children 0-8 are school-ready, healthy, and supported. We do this by transforming houses into family-focused, community hubs and partner with organizations to coordinate research-based programs for children and families. These programs focus on education, health, and family support, giving young children and families what they need for a bright future.

Our O’Hair Park hub is looking for a volunteer to support their weekly 'Distribution Day' where Brilliant families can access essential items such as fresh produce, clothing, books, and diapers. These events are designed to help parents meet their children’s needs with dignity, care, and ease. Volunteers play a key role in making Distribution Days successful by helping create a welcoming and well-organized environment so that our families can focus on selecting the items that are most meaningful to them.

Distribution Days will take place each Thursday, from 4-6 p.m.

Brilliant Cities is a neighborhood-powered model ensuring children 0-8 are school-ready, healthy, and supported. We do this by transforming houses into family-focused, community hubs and partner with organizations to coordinate research-based programs for children and families. These programs focus on education, health, and family support, giving young children and families what they need for a bright future.

We’re looking for volunteers who are passionate about working with children, supporting literacy in Detroit, and leading engaging reading cohorts at our hubs.

As a volunteer leader, you will work in-person at one of our sites to lead an hour-long program once a week from October to May. 

Volunteers will be partnered with a child and be tasked to read aloud books and lead activities based on those books with that child. This opportunity is best suited for those with early childhood education experience and/or interest, however, anyone can lead these programs. These programs work best when the facilitator is upbeat, energetic, compassionate, and engaging.

These programs are offered in person at hubs based on the volunteer's availability. Volunteers will be placed based on the needs of our hubs and the volunteer's proximity to one of our Brilliant pods.

A Brilliant Detroit orientation and background check are required to serve in these programs. Specialized training for this opportunity will also be given after the background check is completed. For more information, please contact volunteer@brilliantdetroit.org.

Brilliant Cities is a neighborhood-powered model ensuring children 0-8 are school-ready, healthy, and supported. We do this by transforming houses into family-focused, community hubs and partner with organizations to coordinate research-based programs for children and families. These programs focus on education, health, and family support, giving young children and families what they need for a bright future.

As a Brilliant Health Corps Volunteer, you will share your knowledge in Health, Wellness, and/or Nutrition by supporting or leading specialized health programs. Volunteers play an essential role in creating engaging and impactful health, wellness, and nutrition nights for families.

Volunteer Health Corps Roles and Responsibilities: 

Volunteer Facilitators (Skills-based)

Volunteer Facilitators support or lead specialized health programs by sharing their expertise in Health, Wellness, and/or Nutrition.

Volunteer Presenters (Skills-based or experience-based) 

Volunteer Presenters lead or co-lead educational workshops during health nights.

General Support Volunteers (Support roles) 

General Support Volunteers assist with organizing and running health nights as part of a team. 

To learn more and join Brilliant Cities as a Health Corps Volunteer, please complete the interest form through Galaxy. A member of our Volunteer Team will contact you directly.

Brilliant Cities is a neighborhood-powered model ensuring children 0-8 are school-ready, healthy, and supported. We do this by transforming houses into family-focused, community hubs and partner with organizations to coordinate research-based programs for children and families. These programs focus on education, health, and family support, giving young children and families what they need for a bright future.

Brilliant Cities takes great pride in honoring National Days of Service that closely aligns with our mission and core values to educate and unite individuals, families, service clubs, businesses, schools, and faith-based organizations in volunteerism throughout the year. 

We actively coordinate service projects around the following Days of Service: 

To collaborate on an upcoming service project and explore how our missions can align, please complete the interest form through Galaxy. A member of our Volunteer Team will contact you directly.

Dear Kid Success Champion,

We are thrilled to share the launch of Brilliant Detroit's very own podcast -- Brilliant Together.

Each podcast episode will feature top experts, leaders and changemakers dedicated to strengthening families and children from belly (0) to eight. 

Conversations explore a range of topics and thought leadership on engaging families, mobilizing communities, and providing children with the support they need to reach their full potential.

Brilliant Together is now available on Apple and Spotify. We are so excited to have made this project a reality and to continue lifting up the amazing work happening in the early childhood education and care space.

Yours in Kid Success,

Brilliant Detroit is dedicated to building kid success neighborhoods where families with children 0-8 have what they need to be school ready, healthy and stable. We do this by providing proven programming and support year round out of Brilliant Detroit homes in high-need neighborhoods.

If you are not already, become a FAN of Brilliant Detroit and receive the latest information happening at Brilliant!