Community Corner

Focus: HOPE's Eleanor Josaitis Dies

With Father William T. Cunningham, Josaitis co-founded Focus: HOPE in the wake of Detroit's 1967 riots.

Eleanor Josaitis, social justice activist and co-founder of Focus: HOPE, has died, according to a statement posted on the Focus: HOPE website.

She was 79.

She and Father William T. Cunningham founded Focus: HOPE in the wake of the 1967 Detroit riots. She succeeded Cunningham, after he died 14 years ago, as Focus: HOPE executive director but in recent years had worked specifically on fundraising.

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The Focus: HOPE statement on her death said her husband of 55 years, Donald was by her side as were her five children, and other family and friends.

An excerpt from today's statement on Focus: HOPE's website:

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"The housewife turned civil rights activist dedicated the last 43 years of her life to 'intelligent and practical action to overcome racism, poverty and injustice' as proclaimed in the Focus: HOPE mission statement. She became a national advocate for a food program designed to meet the nutrition needs for children and seniors; a proponent of job training programs that gave women and minorities access to the financial mainstream, and a passionate Detroiter who strove to revitalize the city and its neighborhoods.

"'There’s no greater way to eliminate racism and poverty than to see that people have education, skills, jobs and opportunities in life,' she frequently said."

Funeral arrangements are pending.


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