More than 30 DTE Energy employees recently volunteered to clean-up, paint and transform two dormitories to surprise the residents of Crossroads for Youth in Oxford, in recognition of August as the “Month of Caring.”

Crossroads for Youth is a nonprofit treatment facility that serves at-risk children and youth.

DTE Energy Senior Communications Specialist Renee McClelland said volunteers hoped revamping the buildings would help give back to an organization that has already made so many positive contributions to the community.

“Crossroads is an amazing facility,” McClelland said. “It’s absolutely gorgeous and they’re doing a great thing for youth that are at-risk.”

The volunteers, known as DTE Energy’s “Careforce,” painted all common areas and bedrooms in the girls’ dormitory located on the south campus while the girls were away camping. The team also painted the outside of an activities building located on the north campus.

“A lot of the buildings are older and have been around for a while,” McClelland said.

This was one of 68 volunteer events scheduled throughout August for the effort.

In total, the company rallied at least 1,000 employees throughout the month and encouraged them to team up and give back to causes they care about.

Every year, volunteers at DTE work with more than 200 nonprofits in 450 communities throughout Michigan.

Mark Johnson, director of customer service at DTE Energy and who serves on the Crossroads Board of Directors, said he was glad to be able to give back to a cause in which he personally invests so much time and to bring attention to the facility, which serves as a “safety net for kids who have no other options.”

“This is a great chance for me to take what I do at work and get people interested in what the mission of Crossroads is,” Johnson said. “People were interested enough in its mission to want to come out and volunteer their time. These are kids that have been bounced around and this is really a chance for them to get care that’s really going to help them heal and (allow them) to be productive members of society someday.”