Humbled and Appreciative (Day 4)

          I’m sitting in the church right now realizing that this is my last full day in ASBD.  I’m going to miss everyone.  I’ve met a lot of great people in the past 6 days.  Genuinely good people that are passionate about serving the community and helping to innovate Detroit.  I embrace our diversity and love the fact that we are from different places all over the globe.  Some of our conversations have been great.  We’ve talked politics, music, education, marriage, family, etc.  I really hope we can continue to do volunteer work after ASBD.  I’m 27, and it’s so good to see younger people, especially recent high school graduates, enthused and on fire about the development of Detroit.              I tutored a child earlier today at Woodbridge.  It as so cool because I had tutored there before and many of the children remembered me.  I read a book about ‘Clifford’ to a child and he was really into it.  He kept predicting what was going to happen next.  At one point, I realized that he didn’t know what a Frisbee was.  I pointed to a picture of a Frisbee and asked him what it was and he couldn’t tell me.  I told him that it was a Frisbee and when I finished the book I pointed at the picture again and asked him what it was.  He told me it was a Frisbee.  I felt so good because through pictures I taught the child what a Frisbee was.  At first he wasn’t able to tell me, but afterwards he was.  I also made paper air planes for the kids and it was good to watch them play and have fun with them.  I felt like I was making a small difference in the lives of children.  I also introduced them to my fellow shivers in ASBD and they introduced me to their friends in the class.            I am so happy to be a part of ASBD.  I have a very unique story of why I want to give back.  I’ve had a lot of help getting me to where I am today.  At one point in my life, I had lost it all.  I was almost homeless. I was hungry and had to apply for food assistance and rely on Churches giving away food in order to eat.  The funny thing is that I never thought anything like this would happen to me in a million years.  I previously had had a career with the U.S government, an associate’s degree and was living on my own.  After loosing my job-as well as some other things- I realized I needed some serious help.  I thank God everyday that the help was available.  I attended counseling sessions for over two years and joined a support group.  I even obtained a sponsor that I could talk to about personal things that I didn’t feel comfortable speaking with others about.  By the grace of God I’ve been able to rebound and am now back in school graduating from Wayne State with a degree in journalism this year.  I recently obtained employment with at Comerica Park.  And the reason that I volunteer is because none of this would have been possible if it weren’t for people who were willing to help me. It is unfair for me to not continue to spread the blessing. I need to be there for another the same way someone was there for me. This is a process that should be continued because it is giving strength to people when they are weak, light to situations that are dark and hope to people who may have otherwise given up.