Marc Paskin came from a poor family and worked his way through college. He used his life savings of a thousand bucks for a down payment on a duplex. That was the start of a career in buying and selling real estate that turned him into a multi-millionaire.
Marc hopes to give away some of his fortune to those in need. He leaves his beautiful beach home in San Diego to live in a run-down house in Detroit. He'll survive on less than $10 a day during his search for community members who could use a hand. Now it's time learn all about the folks Marc meets in the Motor City.
The Man Network
The Man Network is a group of volunteers that patrols the neighborhood to prevent crime. Bishop Tony Russell and his wife, Valerie, run the organization. Mark is put on night patrol with Randy, a 28-year-old dad of three. Randy remembers hearing gunshots as a kid. He came outside to find his mother holding his father in her arms. He'd been shot and died on the way to the hospital. That's why Randy does what he does now.
After a second day of patrol, Marc returns to Man Network headquarters where he reveals that he is a secret millionaire. He hands over a check for $10,000 to Bishop Tony. Everyone is stunned and Randy is completely overwhelmed. He's been living in Detroit all his life and he knows how far this money will go to help make his neighborhood a safer place.
Young Detroit Builders
Bev Manick tells Marc that Young Detroit Builders is an organization that helps young adults transform their lives through schooling and by learning how to build homes. Marc meets a young woman who has been with the program for about two months. Her mom abandoned her when she was two. She became a mother herself at 18. The organization is helping her find structure and build a career.
Bev says the organization's annual budget has shrunk by 350 grand in just the past few months. One of the true challenges of running the program is the way others view the young adults in it. Donors may sometimes blame them for messing up their lives and be reluctant to give. Bev says the people here overcame great odds and have proven to be most resilient. She's honored to learn from them.
When Marc returns, he reveals his true identity and hands over a check for $40,000. Bev says, "A miracle just happened. It revives my spirit and my hope now so that I can go forward." Cheers come from a team of Young Detroit Builders once they learn of the gift they've been given from a secret millionaire.
Really Living
Former limousine driver and current dialysis patient John Cook founded Really Living to offer Detroit's uninsured medical patients free transportation to their appointments. Marc works as driver/caretaker for a dialysis patient named Matt. They meet up with another patient, Courtney, who recently moved into a new apartment but doesn't have the strength to move things around. Marc offers to help.
Marc visits Courtney at her home. She's exhausted from her treatment, so Marc puts some of her stuff in storage. Courtney talks about her four-year-old daughter who was born at 27 weeks. This led to a string of medical problems. Mark asks Courtney what she would do if she had three wishes. She only needs one. It would be for her little girl to be happy and healthy.
Marc pops back in to see John to reveal that he's a secret millionaire. He hands over a check for $40,000. Tears flow as John is overwhelmed by this gift. Marc isn't done yet. He returns to see Courtney, but doesn't come empty-handed. He hands over a check for $20,000. Courtney can't believe it. She says, "Good things don't happen to me." Well, they do now, Courtney. They do now.
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