Help Quarter Cuts (aka Quts) Recover

Thieves stole everything—including the dreams of five boys from Detroit’s most crime-infested impoverished zip code, the 48205, also known as “The Red Zone.”  Not just once—but three times over in 2016, 2019 and 2021.

Quarter Quts, a hugely successful youth-created and youth-led company has lost 20 lawnmowers, 10 weed-wackers, a furnace, a water heater and too many other supplies to list since it opened for business in 2015.  It was essentially forced out of business this year.

These youngsters were celebrated leaders in their neighborhoods and beyond.  Detroit City Council’s Mary Sheffeild and Councilman Scott Benson presented each of the boys with a Spirit of Detroit award.  

Even Mike Duggan, the Mayor of Detroit, gave them high praise for removing blight from the 48205 community.

The visibility and accolades catapulted that small group of youth entrepreneurs into a force of more than 40 peer-influenced young business owners based at a local community center. 

This East Side magic didn’t just appear out of the blue Detroit sky.

Let me introduce the magicians—Sarah Mayne (of Mississippi) and Vaughn Arrington (of Detroit).

They used their personal savings to purchase the community center in 2015. There they found the boys who would quickly form Quarters Quts.  

The boys were full of potential and hungry for mentors—and something positive to do with their time. They were on the brink of choosing which path to follow as teenagers—the path of the streets, or the path to the suites.

The C-suites that is.

Quarter Quts was born out of a Youth Entrepreneurship class that Sarah and Vaughn created and taught. This duo committed to community impact work when they met studying Social Work at Marygrove College.

The break-ins devastated but could not stop them. They are purpose-driven and passionate about opening the doors of opportunity for the youth of this poverty-stricken neighborhood.  They’ve even taken their entrepreneurial expertise to the non-profits that are focused on youth development in the city.

Without regard for their personal financial losses, Sarah and Vaughn decided to redouble their commitment to the kids of the 48205.  They purchased the building adjacent to the one that was burglarized.

More space means more capacity to engage students.  They are intent on outnumbering the thieves in that neighborhood, and offering more to young people than a life of crime and hopelessness.

These two are simply remarkable for their work, and this is but one of their high-impact, promising initiatives.

 They cannot do this work alone anymore.  Sarah and Vaughn need help.

They want to give these young people another chance to dream big—and believe.  Believe in the system, the community and themselves.

Their first mission is to put a Green Light (police monitored) security system on the property, then restart Quarter Quts with even better equipment than what was stolen.  Then they’ll begin rebuilding the community center, outfitting it with the particulars needed to teach youth how to run their own businesses.

Sarah and Vaugh are not only intent on teaching young people the grit, perseverance, tenacity and dogged hard work necessary to scale the hurdles the 48205 puts in front of them, they are demonstrating those traits every day.

They are unstoppable.  Please consider making a donation of any size to help them help the youth of 48205.