Clark Park Coalition

Mission: To provide an array of diverse, high-quality recreational, educational, social and mentoring programs for southwest Detroit families promoting skills development which helps our youth grow into responsible, self-confident adults.

Clark Park Coalition is a nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping southwest Detroit’s historic Clark Park as a thriving resource for youth and families. An oasis of nature in the middle of the city, Clark Park was staffed by the Detroit Recreation Department until 1991 when it was closed due to the City’s financial crisis. Concerned citizens succeeded in forming a nonprofit to partner with the City of Detroit’s Recreation Department, resulting in a successful public-private collaboration.

Today, Clark Park remains the community’s anchor, providing four seasons worth of programming for more than 1,200 youth. It operates the only regulation-sized outdoor ice hockey rink in Metro Detroit, and provides free lunches daily, to more than 100 youth throughout the summer. The park’s value to the area is evident by the hundreds of volunteers who donate their time each year.