Jeffrey Mosher welcomes back Linda Little, President & CEO, NSO, Detroit’s Neighborhood Service Organization, Detroit, MI.
Hear Linda and Jeffrey discuss a new Oakman Campus park, recovery, healing, expanded services and how Detroit businesses can help in the SoundCloud podcast shared below:
Jeffrey had several questions for Linda in this conversation:
- What inspired NSO to create this new park, and what do you envision it becoming for people in recovery, their families and the broader Detroit community?
- Why is it important to create a visible public space dedicated to recovery and healing, particularly at a time when substance use disorder continues to affect so many Michigan families?
- How will the park connect with NSO’s expanded substance use disorder treatment and other services on the Oakman Campus?
- NSO is specifically asking Michigan businesses to become founding partners. What are you asking the corporate community to invest in—and why should companies see this as more than a traditional charitable donation?
- What will corporate partners actually help make possible at the park, and what kinds of recognition or opportunities will businesses receive in return for their investment?
- You’ve described the park as a place where recovery can be visible, and where lives lost to addiction can be remembered. What do you hope people feel or experience when they visit it?
- What would success look like for this project five or 10 years from now, and what role do you hope Detroit’s business community will have played in making that vision a reality?
Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/
Watch MBN’s YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN
Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork
Follow MBN: X.com/MIBizNetwork/
MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/
NSO Launches Corporate Giving Campaign to Build New Park along Joe Louis Greenway
Nonprofit invites business community to invest in healing, recovery; Destination along Joe Louis Greenway will increase access to substance use disorder treatment, honor lives impacted by addiction, strengthen Detroit neighborhoods
DETROIT (AUGUST 2026) – Neighborhood Service Organization (NSO), one of Michigan’s leading providers of integrated health, housing and human services, is calling on Michigan’s corporate community to become founding partners in the creation of a new park located on NSO’s Oakman Campus, along the Joe Louis Greenway.
The park will serve as a transformative public space designed to promote healing, recovery and community connection while expanding access to critical substance use disorder (SUD) services; and also as a welcoming destination where individuals and families affected by substance use disorder can find hope, healing and support.
The project is part of a broader investment in expanding behavioral health services, including a new opioid treatment unit made possible in part through opioid settlement funding. NSO is now seeking additional corporate and philanthropic investment to complete the vision.
As NSO celebrates its 70th anniversary of serving Detroit, the organization is inviting companies to move beyond traditional charitable giving by becoming strategic community impact partners in one of the city’s most meaningful recovery and revitalization initiatives.
“Opioid addiction affects every community, every neighborhood and every sector of our society. It is time to eliminate the stigma that has kept those who need help in the shadows” said Linda Little, NSO President and CEO. “This park represents hope in action. It will be a place where recovery is visible, where families can heal, where lives lost to addiction are remembered, and where people seeking treatment can find a pathway forward. When individuals thrive, communities thrive; when communities thrive, businesses thrive; we are all connected. We invite businesses that are committed to strengthening Detroit to join us in creating a lasting legacy of healing and opportunity.”
The park will feature accessible green space, gathering areas and opportunities for remembrance, including a planned digital memorial honoring loved ones lost to substance use disorder. The park is intended to complement NSO’s expanding continuum of care by connecting individuals to treatment while creating a public environment that promotes wellness, dignity and community engagement.
The project also supports the broader vision of the Joe Louis Greenway by using the unique green space along the Greenway to create a destination that connects neighborhoods, while addressing one of Detroit’s most urgent public health challenges.
In addition to the new park, corporate investments will help support:
- Permanent supportive housing at the Bell Building and Clay Apartments
- Expansion of substance use disorder treatment services
- Integrated behavioral health and primary care services
- Community-based outreach, stabilization and wellness programs
“Recovery extends far beyond clinical treatment,” said Dr. Bill Restum, Business Development Strategist at NSO. “People recover more successfully when they have access to safe housing, healthcare, supportive relationships and spaces that foster hope and belonging. This park brings those elements together in one place while reinforcing that recovery is possible for every person who seeks it.”
Companies participating in the campaign will receive customized recognition opportunities based on their level of investment. Benefits include corporate visibility across NSO’s communication networks, employee volunteer opportunities, co-branded community initiatives, recognition throughout the park, and naming opportunities for park features, housing units, wellness spaces and the new opioid treatment unit.
“Today’s leading companies understand that corporate social responsibility means investing in solutions that create measurable, long-term community impact,” Little said. “By partnering with NSO, businesses are not simply making a donation. They are helping transform lives, strengthen neighborhoods and build healthier communities for generations to come.”
For more information about the park, available partnership opportunities or to become a Corporate Community Impact Partner, visit www.nso-mi.org/corporate-giving.html or contact NSO’s development team.
About Neighborhood Service Organization
Neighborhood Service Organization (NSO) is a Detroit-based nonprofit that bridges the gaps in housing, healthcare and well-being by providing integrated services that help individuals and families overcome homelessness, behavioral health challenges, substance use disorders and other barriers to stability. For 70 years, NSO has worked alongside community partners to create pathways to recovery, independence and lasting opportunity for Detroit residents.
