About Starr
History
In 1913 a young man named Floyd Starr purchased a ramshackle barn and forty scrub-covered acres in Albion, Michigan and began what would eventually become one of the nation’s most respected child and family charities. Floyd Starr founded Starr Commonwealth as a refuge for "homeless, dependent, neglected and delinquent boys." It strives to change personal outcomes, one individual at a time.
Today, Starr Commonwealth operates dozens of programs for troubled youth and their families in Michigan and Ohio. “Uncle Floyd,” as he was affectionately known, would probably be amazed at just how far his original vision has come, but he certainly wouldn’t be surprised at the reasons why. Starr still believes, as did its founder, that when you treat a child with dignity and respect, it changes a child’s heart. And that, in the end, is what changes a child’s life.
It’s a powerful story. And it’s drawn some powerful people over the years to help tell it. Muhammad Ali, Maya Angelou, Henry Winkler, Helen Keller, poet Carl Sandburg, George Washington Carver and Alex Haley are just a few of the famous names who have lent their star power to help support the work of Starr Commonwealth.