Why Volunteer?

When I graduated in May of 2011 I had many paths I could have embarked on. I chose to “take a year off” and volunteer a year of my life to AmeriCorps. I chose a program that would take me out of my comfort zone and out of North Carolina. I have always loved my home but I wanted to challenge myself and move away.

I found Boys Hope Girls Hope in AmeriCorps list of programs involving youth. The “official” description is:

“Boys Hope Girls Hope is an academic scholarship program for underprivileged youth in the metro Detroit area. Our program recognizes that children have the desire to be successful but social and economic stressors could hinder their ability to succeed. Education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and we provide the best private education to our scholars. We empower our scholars to realize their potential by supporting them academically, emotionally, spiritually and financially. Children generally come to us at a young age and remain members of our extended family for life.” [1]

After applying to the program and completing a couple of interviews I was accepted to become and Academic Success Corps member. Then after a couple of more interviews I was asked to be the ASC for Boys Hope Girls Hope Detroit.

The population of Detroit is 706,585 (Raleigh is 416.468 people) and the percentage of that population that is below the poverty line is 34.5%.[2] The 2010 graduation rate from Detroit Public Schools was about 62%, which is up from 59% in 2009. The dropout rate in 2010 was about 19%[3]. 

          

So with those statistics in mind I moved from North Carolina to Detroit, Michigan. I didn’t move to save the world. I didn’t move to save Detroit. I moved to try and make an impact in a small group of teenagers. As an ASC I have assisted with homework, planned college tours, worked with scholars on college and scholarship applications, encouraged them to read for fun, and pushed them to see that college is in their future. Some of the scholars enter the program thinking they will never get to college; when they are in to the program we help them see that not only are they going to attend college but they will graduate college.

However, even with all the academic things I help with it’s the moments in between that have made this all worth it. The little moments like eating dinner together, or doing Zumba in the basement, playing Uno or just talking in the car. It’s the moment when one of my seniors gets into her first choice school, or the look on her face when she knocks on my door at 11:30pm to tell me her ACT score went up 2 points. It’s the moment when you see the light bulb go off in a scholar. It is these moments that make the stress, frustration, and exhaustion worth it. 

I volunteered with AmeriCorp to get out of my bubble and in return I fell in love with a group of youth who changed my life.

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[1] http://www.boyshopegirlshope.org/

[2] Information from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/26/2622000.html

[3] http://detroitk12.org/content/2011/02/22/dps-reaches-62-percent-graduation-rate-the-highest-since-state-began-new-cohort-methodology-in-2007/