For years, Comerica Bank has been known for its commitment to the community. As noted on the bank’s online Corporate Responsibility overview, “At Comerica, responsibility is the foundation of our business. Traits such as honesty, transparency, and fairness have enabled our company to be a “Force for Good” throughout our long history.”
“… This Force for Good mentality drives the positive change and long-term, sustainable value for our company, stakeholders, and communities.”
Perhaps no recent community engagement illustrates this better than when approximately 100 Comerica Cares volunteers met up with the Detroit Lions Community Relations staff for a variety of cleanup activities to transform the Delray Community Center in Southwest Detroit.
As Comerica Michigan Market President Steve Davis explained it, “As far back as I can remember, everything at Comerica has been community oriented. We always punched above our weight, if we were at a Heart Walk, a UNCF walk, any kind of a fundraiser, we always showed up in bigger numbers than pretty much like anybody else our size.”
Davis adds, “And so it’s always been part of who we are. I explain it like there are two reasons for what we do. One is just because it’s the right thing to do, and our community helped us get to where we are and it’s the right thing to do to get back to the community.”
Last week, Comerica Bank employees turned out assist in the cleanup project that included sprucing up both the interior and exterior of the community center.
Joined by partners at the Detroit Lions, they pulled weeds, cut back bushes, and planted flowers, adding a pleasant refresh on the Delray Community Center (located at 420 S. Leigh St. in Detroit) to restore and revitalize property. Inside, volunteers painted walls and organized donated clothes for the community.
The center’s sand volleyball court and playground received a much-needed makeover.
One of the community volunteers, Rachel “Sumi” Hernandez from Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation, explained the importance of the project.
“I think it’s great, the beautification of this particular center, because we do have a lot of people that come out here for the soccer games and stuff like that. Plus, we have a clothing closet inside, so it’ll be more appealing to the eye,” said Hernandez.
She noted that the beautification will also have a ripple effect on the rest of the neighborhood.
“I think this project will inspire other people in the neighborhood to spruce up their spaces as well.”
The project was inspired by the February 2025 floods that left dozens of people in this community displaced, with freezing water filling their homes. Since then, Comerica Bank has supported LA SED and other community organizations to help the neighborhoods recover. The City of Detroit, corporations and philanthropic entities have done a lot to get the community back on its feet but impacts from the flood can remain.
In response, Comerica Bank partnered with the Detroit Lions to help this part of the Southwest Detroit community better serve those in need.
“I always say is we can’t be as successful as the communities that we’re in if our communities aren’t doing well. It’s almost impossible for us to do well,” Davis said. “So the better we can help our communities, the better we can help people with financial literacy, the better we can help them, you know, do a little bit better in life, the better it is for us.”
