11/07/2025
At the heart of the Ypsilanti Deborah Strong Community, the Self-Sufficiency Store at Sauk Trail Pointe in Ypsilanti is helping families build brighter futures. Founded with the mission of “empowering [the] community through accessible programs and resources that build self-sufficiency, dignity, and opportunity,” the store provides essential items that residents earn through participation in personal growth and development programs.
Serving primarily families living in Sauk Trail Pointe community, the store has become an important resource for residents striving to stretch limited budgets and reduce financial stress while learning valuable resource management skills. Through a partnership with PMCH-CHS, Health Cafés offer an in-community welcoming space for residents to connect with healthcare professionals, discuss health topics of their choice, gather strategies for improving health, and shop a pop-up Self-Sufficiency Store using “Sauk Bucks” earned they’ve earned through program participation. For many without health insurance, this collaboration has helped bridge a critical gap in access to responsive, impactful healthcare and provided residents an opportunity to “buy” personal hygiene and household necessities.
The Self-Sufficiency Store will celebrate its 2-year anniversary on December 1, 2025, and partner with Program for Multicultural Health (PMCH) to support a final 2025 café, “Taste of a Strong Roots Parent Health Café”, on December 13, 2025. This health café is designed to help parents and caregivers strengthen sense of self and parenting skills.
Looking ahead, the Self-Sufficiency Store hopes to expand to Hollow Creek, another Ypsilanti Housing Commission community, through sustainable funding and partnerships. For more information or to support families served by the Self-Sufficiency Store please contact Angela Johnson at angejohn@umich.edu.
