Hello all!
Today was full of a lot of hard work and a lot of fun with our kids! We woke up early this morning and headed off to our site in the cold morning weather. Our service started this morning in an empty lot filled with stones, strangely shaped pieces of porcelain, and huge fallen tree branches. With loppers, handsaws and wheel barrows in hand, we beautified the area, removing as many stones and branches as possible. Some of us felt a little disappointed at the start of this morning, thinking that we were doing work that didn't matter and didn't pertain to our trip. But after we finished cleaning the lot (following a particularly strange experience with a city inspector), and saw how much better the lot was for it. While this trip may have seemed trivial, we realized how important even the small pieces of work that we do are. And we saw how our service site member, Lisa, was so truly excited and invigorated by her service to the community - a refreshing attitude in a community that appears to be so defeated.
After our lunch break, one of our service site members, Lisa, decided to take us on a brief car tour of East Detroit. On the tour, we got a chance to stop in the Heidelberg Project, a 2 block strip of land where numerous works of art involving everyday items like shoes, bottles, and stuffed animals. Some of the art was actually created by Lisa, and she took a moment to discuss the reality of the situation in the city of Detroit. This place and these discussions really sunk in the severity of the poverty and abandonment in Detroit. For some of us, this site was inspiring - it communicated love and really showed the promise of a community who cares. For others, it was depressing - a constant reminder of the struggle of the people of Detroit. After a short visit to a fantastic Mexican grocery store, we headed back to the center to spend our afternoon with the kids.
Many of us chose to focus on single aspects of our MAB values while working with the kids today. For some, that translated into constantly communicating love to the kids. They focused their efforts on making the kids feel appreciated and heard. Participants talked about how some kids would just continue to talk to them and really appreciate the amount of attention they were receiving. Some were focused on taking these interactions with the kids little by little, or poco a poco, and allowing them to break down the walls they've built slowly and steadily. Kids felt comfortable enough to talk with us about real issues that were going on in their lives, but it took time and patience to achieve this level of trust (also, some kids were very difficult to work with on their homework, making some volunteers have to work little by little to get through worksheets). Everyone had a lot of great experiences with the kids today, from games and crafts to homework and discussions. We had a really great day, and we're so excited to continue our work with these kids.
Many of us chose to focus on single aspects of our MAB values while working with the kids today. For some, that translated into constantly communicating love to the kids. They focused their efforts on making the kids feel appreciated and heard. Participants talked about how some kids would just continue to talk to them and really appreciate the amount of attention they were receiving. Some were focused on taking these interactions with the kids little by little, or poco a poco, and allowing them to break down the walls they've built slowly and steadily. Kids felt comfortable enough to talk with us about real issues that were going on in their lives, but it took time and patience to achieve this level of trust (also, some kids were very difficult to work with on their homework, making some volunteers have to work little by little to get through worksheets). Everyone had a lot of great experiences with the kids today, from games and crafts to homework and discussions. We had a really great day, and we're so excited to continue our work with these kids.
Love,
- MAB Detroit <3
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