Grassroots beginnings.
The Founding Vision
It all began with a silent retreat in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Genevieve had been getting a sense of 'more' for awhile, ever since she had been given - yes, given - a large house for free, with the previous owner telling her, "The Lord told me to give you my house. Do you want it?" Genevieve said yes, having a sense that a mission was coming along with the house. But the 'more' wasn't clear for awhile. On the sixth day of an eight-day silent wilderness retreat, she received something like a divine download, with the Lord giving her what she eventually discerned was her mission. Having a mission with an end goal of awakening people to the goodness of God and helping them to come to know Jesus Christ was familiar territory for her, having and continuing to serve as the evangelization coordinator at St. Augustine St. Monica Catholic Church in the same neighborhood, but she was surprised by the construction aspect of the mission.
The problem was, the pieces didn't add up initially. Looking to immediately start to follow through on what the Lord had asked, she soon realized it wasn't a "right now" plan. So she put the plan on the shelf for the time being.
But a year and a half later, the vision came back into focus, with the pieces coming together by themselves. Men from the neighborhood were offering to help her do work on her own house, others gave money to pay people to do work. The AlleyGroup had already begun, during Covid, in the alley behind the house on 3920 Van Dyke. While the work began on her house, Firm Foundations of Hope has been moving on out into the neighborhood, using its resources to help other low-income households on the lower east side of Detroit, our current focus area.
Genevieve prayed about who she should seek out to help with the mission, and in particular for the initial board of directors so that the corporation could be started. The first person she asked said yes. Only after asking Bob Marshall did Genevieve find out that he brings 30 years of experience working in construction.
Our story continues to be written. We seek only to be faithful to the Lord who guides us.
If you're interested in becoming a part of the mission, please contact us!
Scroll down to meet our team!
Firm Foundations of Hope Board of Directors
FFH is blessed to be led by a great team. Get to know us!
Genevieve Kocourek
Founder, President and Secretary
Genevieve is passionate about building up the Kingdom of God and following wherever the Lord Jesus leads her. She was born and raised in Collins, Wisconsin, but has lived in Detroit since 2016. She is a nine-year veteran of the U.S. military, having served in both the Army and Marine Corps with three tours of duty in Iraq. She earned her B.A. in Religious Studies from St. Norbert College in De Pere, WI and her MA in Pastoral Studies from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. She serves as the evangelization coordinator at St. Augustine St. Monica Catholic Church in Detroit. As of April 2023, she is a licensed residential builder in the state of Michigan.
Bobbie Marshall
Vice President
Mr. Bobbie Marshall grew up in our very neighborhood on the lower east side. In addition to having extensive experience in roofing and as an electrician, including as the owner of Rightway Construction before he retired, he is also retired from the Detroit Police Department. He is a faithful member of St. Augustine St. Monica Catholic Church and is passionate about training and mentoring others, not only for construction, but for life.
Daniel Rose
Treasurer
Daniel moved to Detroit in 2021 after graduating from the University of Michigan with a Masters in Accounting and Bachelor of Science in Movement Science. Since moving to Detroit, he has embraced the city's Catholic community. Daniel has loved getting to know the city's east side through the Church and long runs through the neighborhoods. A Certified Public Accountant in the State of Michigan, Daniel's background is in financial statement preparation and tax accounting.
Kyle Cascarelli
Board Member
Kyle comes with a decade of experience in urban ministry. He most recently served as the Executive Director of a YouthWorks-Detroit, a neighborhood outreach on the city’s west side.
Moneesa Credle
Board Member
Moneesa's journey to Firm Foundations of Hope is fueled by nearly two decades of expertise in management consulting and operations management. She is passionate about helping to achieve FFH's vision, as it seeks to reach new heights of impact within the communities it serves.