Southfield — Comcast, as part of its ongoing community service and outreach efforts, has announced its donation of a New Detroit, Inc. grant in the amount of $15,000 from The Comcast Foundation. The grant supports the Multicultural Leadership Series, which highlights the histories, cultures and socioeconomic issues of communities of color, including people of African-American, Arab, Chaldean, Latino/Hispanic, Asian, and Native American descent.

“New Detroit launched the Multicultural Leadership Series in 1996 as an innovative approach to bridge communication gaps and open the dialogue between many diverse cultures in the Detroit region,” said Shirley Stancato, President and CEO of New Detroit. “We welcome the financial support the Comcast Foundation is providing to this program.”

The Multicultural Leadership Series is designed to build a strong and ongoing leadership network in the metropolitan Detroit area enhancing the ability to understand the complexities of a  multicultural society and providing a direct link with persons of different cultures.  Participants include leaders in for-profit and non-profit corporations and organizations, giving them the opportunity to share with institutional colleagues their understanding of race relations and Detroit’s ethnic and cultural communities.

“We at Comcast know the benefits of participation include an improved knowledge of diverse communities across the region, which is very helpful given our expansive service area in metropolitan Detroit,” said Comcast Regional Senior Vice President Dave Buhl.  “The work that New Detroit is doing serves this region well by providing new opportunities for cultural collaboration.”

“New Detroit, Inc. is a wonderful program that brings residents together to demonstrate their commitment to our city and has truly become a catalyst for change,” said State Representative Coleman A. Young II. “Detroit is made up of many culturally rich and diverse neighborhoods and communities. Through this generous grant, the Comcast Foundation is joining with us to celebrate what makes Detroit truly special and is helping to bring our residents closer together.”

Established in 1999, the Comcast Foundation is the company’s chief source of charitable support to non-profit organizations.  The Foundation primarily invests in programs that work to create a positive, sustainable impact within our communities in the areas of volunteerism, literacy and youth leadership development.  Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated more than $43 million to organizations in the communities that Comcast serves.  More information about the Foundation and its programs is available at www.comcast.com under “In the Community.”

New Detroit, Inc. is a coalition of leaders representing business, labor, media, community-based and civil rights organizations, educational, health and religious institutions.  It is a private, non-profit, tax-exempt organization.  The mission of New Detroit is to work as a coalition of Detroit area leadership addressing the issue of race relations by positively impacting issues and policies that ensure economic and social equity.  Over the past decade, more than 600 individuals with the ability to influence change in their workplaces have completed the program.  Further information is available by calling 313-664-2036 or visiting www.newdetroit.org.