About

Who We Are

P.E.A.C.E. — the Partnership in Economic Alliance for Community Empowerment — is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to serving the West Willow community of Ypsilanti Township, Michigan.

The spirit of service has been alive in West Willow for decades, carried forward by friends and neighbors who truly care about this place. That shared commitment took on a new form via an organization built to expand that reach through education, empowerment, and economics. We believe every child, adult, and senior deserves both the opportunity to succeed and the support to get there.

Today, P.E.A.C.E. hosts programs that span every generation: from the Ascension reading literacy program for youth to financial seminars, safety workshops, coat drives, and vaccine clinics for the broader community. Our next chapter is building a debt-free community center, a warm and welcoming space where children can gather safely, seniors can find connection, and families can access resources every day of the year.

Our Vision:

We envision a thriving Ypsilanti — especially within the West Willow community — where children excel, families build generational stability, seniors live with dignity, and every resident has access to education, economic opportunity, and hope.

Our Mission:

To lift the quality of life for West Willow and Ypsilanti residents through education, empowerment, and economic opportunity, serving every generation with dignity and care.

What We Stand For

Dignity for Every Person

We believe every neighbor—from our youngest children to our seniors—deserves to be treated with unwavering respect and compassion. We don’t define people by their challenges; we meet them exactly where they are and honor their inherent worth in everything we do.

Empowerment Over Dependency

Our goal is to equip, not just assist. By providing tools for financial literacy, workforce readiness, and entrepreneurship, we help families build a foundation of stability that lasts long after our programs end.

Education as a Path Forward

From early literacy to life skills, we believe accessible, practical education changes trajectories. Programs like Ascension exist because a child who learns to read becomes an adult with more choices.

Economic Advancement for All Families

Generational stability is built one household at a time. We work alongside our neighbors to strengthen financial foundations, because thriving families are the building blocks of a thriving community.

Integrity and Accountability

We handle every dollar with a commitment to total transparency. Building the community center debt-free is a clear reflection of that standard—ensuring that every investment from our local and national partners goes directly toward serving West Willow, exactly as intended.

Collaboration and Partnership

No organization changes a community alone. We are grateful for the businesses, civic leaders, schools, and individuals who choose to invest in West Willow. Together, we multiply what any of us could achieve separately.

This is more than a program. This is a movement.

West Willow has always been defined by people who refuse to give up on their neighborhood. P.E.A.C.E. is simply that refusal, organized. We aren’t just providing services; we are building a foundation for the future of Ypsilanti.

Serving Ypsilanti. Strengthening West Willow. Building a Legacy.

The History of The P.E.A.C.E. Initiative

Witnessing the existing systemic issues of the community, Reverend Joe Nathaniel Crout was inspired to establish The P.E.A.C.E. Initiative on January 26, 2003, to support the quality of life for residents of the West Willow community of Ypsilanti Township, Michigan. He was particularly concerned to help the community’s children and seniors have a safe space for indoor recreation, education, and birthing future community empowerment.

As the need for a community center continued, years later in 2014, the Michigan Engaging Community through the Classroom Initiative (MECC), as well as the University of Michigan’s A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, partnered to help New West Willow Neighborhood Association (NWWNA) address its community’s needs as well as how to improve the quality of life for its residents. Results from their work demonstrated an urgent need for a community center in the West Willow neighborhood of Ypsilanti Township. The entities chronicled their insights and findings into a report called, “From Needs to Opportunities: Strategies for the West Willow Neighborhood”.

The findings of the report validated the work of The P.E.A.C.E. Initiative and the need for its community center to promote positive change. Today, The P.E.A.C.E. Initiative offers greater collaboration with sponsors and partners to make the community center become a reality. We invite you to join The P.E.A.C.E. Initiative in this effort!

Hear From P.E.A.C.E. Co-Founders

Our founders are inspired to create a world in which every individual can reach their greatest potential. They established The P.E.A.C.E. Initiative to be as a vessel of positive change and light for those in West Willow community of Ypsilanti, Michigan and beyond.

Rev. Joe Crout Co-founder of The P.E.A.C.E. Initiative

“We want to continue ministry through outreach, and that’s how the community center came into being. We want to answer a need within our community – education, recreation, and to give children access and a foundation to build upon.”

Rev. David Crout Co-founder of The P.E.A.C.E. Initiative

"The community center is going to be an advancement of that grand idea. It’s going to allow so many services, so many programs, and so many opportunities to be offered to people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to these things.”

Board of Directors

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Follow Our Progress

Meet The Leadership Team Behind P.E.A.C.E.

Our team is dedicated to making a difference in the greater community of Ypsilanti! Through their shared experiences of creating change and working to positively impact the lives of its residents, they...

June 10, 2022

P.E.A.C.E. Launches Fundraiser For Community Center In Historic Willow Run

The P.E.A.C.E. Initiative team plans to kick-off a fundraiser with a rally for their community center in the spring of 2023! The team is excited to share that the rally will be...

March 1, 2022