DETROIT — R&B singer and star KEM, who in his 20s spent time on Detroit's streets, is giving back to the city's homeless with a four-day-long event that will feature meals, a toiletry and supplies handout, a talk, a cleanup and more.
The event, called the Mack & Third Music Festival, will start with a food drive for Detroit's homeless and the organizations that help them daily.
Following the food drive, there will be a nine-hour cleanup of Cass Park at Temple St., starting at 11 a.m., and will provide homeless with a meal, and KEM will talk to them about addiction and the power of redemption.
There will also be medical screenings, dental services and toiletry kits offered, with canned food and other donations going to the Detroit Rescue Mission and Michigan Neighborhood Service Organization.
The music festival, now in its third year, has become one of Detroit's premier events. Last year the festival drew over 52,000 people and served 2,100 homeless people with meals and canned goods.
KEM is now also writing a book documenting the time he spent on Detroit's streets and how he finally cleaned up at the Detroit Rescue Mission at Mack & Third.
Ten years later, he's about to receive his third Gold Record for albums sales, and is still signed to Motown Records.
Essentially, he wants to see the Mack & Third festival disappear, meaning he would like to see all people on the streets of Detroit rehabilitated and gainfully employed.
For more information visit www.mackandthird.org.
Source: Detroit Free Press
