About One New Humanity

Our mission as a 501(C)3 non-profit is focused on improving the lives of immigrants, refugees, and under-resourced people in the communities of Banglatown in Detroit and Hamtramck, Michigan. *Over half the population is in one of these three categories.

Our Why

We believe that our diverse community will thrive the more we collaborate, listen to one another, share resources, and above all else, love and serve each other. We observe this desire in people of different religions, political affiliations, and ethnicities. We aim to establish an organization that facilitates this belief every day, while fostering life-giving relationships in the process.

Our Values

  • Collaboration and Volunteerism

    • We are always looking to do more through collaborative partnerships and volunteers.

  • Creativity and Ingenuity

    • If you have an idea and community support, let’s create a plan together.

  • Hospitality and Relationships

    • Taking time for conversation, especially with good food, is often more important than solving problems.

Milestones

  • Incorporated in 2018 and brought on both Sisterhood Fitness and Sylhet Farm as an ONH program. Both were initiated by community leaders, but required assistance in several areas.

  • In August 2021, we started Joy Thrift in Hamtramck. At that time, Michigan's most densely populated city didn’t have a thrift store.

  • In March 2022, we purchased a house with side lots adjacent to Sylhet Farm that we are using to grow our youth employment and urban farming residency programs.

  • In April 2022, we turned a former Henry Ford medical office into a beautiful community space with the help of grants and volunteers. It featured a workout studio for Sisterhood Fitness classes, a commercial kitchen, educational classrooms, and more.

  • In May 2023, we officially partnered with Masjid Fatimah/Hope Center to launch the Sylhet Farm Community Garden, which rented all 114 plots in its first year. We continue to support this community garden located on the border of Hamtramck in Banglatown.

  • In 2024, we agreed to start an online version of Joy Thrift. It currently generates additional revenue to support our community work, but the dream is to transform it into an employment social enterprise (ESE) that can hire immigrants, refugees, and individuals with barriers to traditional employment (e.g., low-level English, transportation, childcare, etc.).

  • In November 2024, we moved our first urban farming resident into the farmhouse. She is focusing on beautifying the neighborhood, engaging the community, and leading the way in teaching others how to save money and eat healthier by growing their own food.

  • In 2025, we established the Joy Thrift Cares Fund, which enables us to address community needs by providing store credit to individuals who need practical items, while covering our operating expenses. We have helped families get clothes for their kids who couldn’t afford them, and more.

  • Founders, Executive Leaders

    Hello,

    We moved to Hamtramck thirteen years ago from the Chicago area for work. We bought a beautiful historic home and have since purchased other rental properties in Hamtramck. Our kids have grown up in the community, and we love it here, especially when our friends bring us home-cooked biryani.

    We got involved with One New Humanity (ONH) first as volunteers, and then Daniel as a board member, and now as Executive Director. ONH was created to streamline a few community projects with similar goals started by friends. In 2021, we started Joy Thrift, which was the catalyst that grew the organization and led us (Daniel) to function as Executive Director. We are gradually figuring out what that means, but it has been fun to apply skills learned over the years to a non-profit organization. We are grateful to the hundreds of volunteers, donors, and partners who have contributed to ONH's growth and development, making it what it is today.

    We are currently working to build a team and expand our board, while moving ONH more into the employment social enterprise (ESE) space. The dream would be to look back one day and see hundreds of people we helped transition from difficult situations to thriving, thanks to the resources, skills, and confidence they built and earned through their role in one of several social enterprises within ONH. We would love for you to join us on this journey. Please fill out the partnership form below, and let's start a conversation.

Partners

Our partners are vital to our work and help make our goals become a reality!

Become a Partner

If you are interested in partnering with us, please fill out the form below, and we will be in touch.