Like a lot of groups, Detroit Local 17’s RENEW Committee was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Membership was down, and a sense of social lethargy was setting in. But thanks to members going above and beyond in their efforts to revive the IBEW young worker initiative, the committee — and the local — are experiencing a resurgence.

With more than half of Local 17’s 4,600 members being 35 and younger, there’s a lot of opportunity for engagement, said Tom Ford, assistant business manager and RENEW Committee mentor. They usually get about 20 members at every meeting, and that engagement extends to other areas of the local, he said.

“We have seen a real difference in our general membership meetings,” said Ford, who was one of the members who led the revitalization of the RENEW committee. “More and more RENEW members are attending our events and want to get involved.”

RENEW members aren’t just attending events or just volunteering day of. They’re stepping up and planning them, Ford said. Some of the events that they’ve planned or taken a significant leadership role in include installing a ramp at a disabled brother’s home; hosting a blood drive; clearing a vacant lot for Catholic Charities to build affordable housing for veterans; and sponsoring Mosh for Mutts, a fundraiser for Detroit Dog Rescue.

At the dog rescue fundraiser, RENEW members helped raise money and collect dog food for area rescues. They also had a table at the event and talked to the people attending about the opportunities within the IBEW.

“It was a great event for community engagement,” Ford said.

Part of the revitalization entailed Ford bringing in a core group of young members and helping them get involved. And at 39 years old, he showed them that there are leadership roles for everyone.

“The younger members can relate to and feel comfortable communicating with someone who’s closer to their age,” Ford said. “Now they’re starting to take on leadership roles themselves.”

RENEW Recording Secretary Matt Dodd said he’s been looking for something like RENEW for most of his adult life.

“I’ve long felt called to be involved in organizing, charitable work and contributing to something larger than myself for the benefit of the people around me,” Dodd said.

Dodd noted that he’d been toying with the idea of joining RENEW for a while, but what really pushed him in the IBEW direction was the state of affairs in the world.

“We’re living through an epidemic of loneliness, and the lack of real community often leads to apathy fueled by the disconnect between our highly connected digital lives and our lived reality,” he said. “For me, RENEW felt like a practical way to help address those issues.”

Being a RENEW member comes with a multitude of benefits, Dodd said. There’s the community aspect — the ability to network and reach out, to name two. And it all comes together to provide a truly fulfilling sense of solidarity.

“The sense of being a part of something that’s aimed toward the betterment of people in my area has been really gratifying,” Dodd said. “I like being able to have an impact on the world in my own localized way.”

Like Dodd, RENEW Chair Justin Sherman enjoys being able to make a difference in his community through his RENEW membership.

“Being a RENEW member brings me a lot of pride, and it has definitely made me more involved in Local 17,” he said.

Like Sherman and Dodd, RENEW Co-Chair Steve Lenhardt appreciates how the committee allows him to help in the community while also getting more involved in Local 17.

“It feels good to help others,” he said. “Being able to do it with people who share your values makes it even more rewarding.”

Local 17’s RENEW Committee is also collaborating with Detroit Local 58’s counterpart on solidarity nights, when members from both locals get together for socializing, as well as sharing knowledge and opportunities to grow their respective groups.

“It’s great to learn more about the way the other committees do things,” Lenhardt said.

Ford and Dodd noted how RENEW committees and solidarity nights are opportunities for IBEW members to meet fellow members from different trades.

“We have RENEW members from a lot of different agreements that would normally only see each other at the events. Now they’re working together as a team,” Ford said.

For Lenhardt, being able to share the fruits of his labor with fellow members and their families is really gratifying.

“With all the hours we put in at work, it’s great to be involved in the union and have our families with us for a lot of it,” he said. “You miss a lot of family time with work, so being able to interact with Local 17 members and their families while also working together has been really rewarding. It’s great to see the smiles on the kids’ faces. Family is what it’s all about.”