Maybe this should be titled, “Trying to be Part of a Solution.” That way it wouldn’t overemphasize how big a part I play in this, or infer that there is actually one solution. Either way, here is what I’m trying to do. Instead of participating in social commentary, I am choosing to participate in social change. Instead of finding and pinpointing things that are going wrong in Baltimore, I want to find something that I can do to make it better.
Although I strongly believe that the US and state governments have a responsibility to provide programs and financial assistance to those in need, I wish it wasn’t necessary. What I mean is that there should be enough involvement from people who proclaim to care – churches, private organizations, neighborhood groups, etc. – that government programs become more of a back-up plan.
I recently joined a group of enthusiastic volunteers from my church, Grace Fellowship Church, and the capable leaders of Sandtown Habitat for Humanity (www.sandtownhabitat.org) to begin work on 1418 N. Fulton Ave. This house is located in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood of West Baltimore and is in need of a tremendous amount of work. We’ve only been working on the house for 3 weeks, so there is still no back to the house, no plumbing, no flooring, almost nothing.
If you’ve never been to Sandtown, it’s hard to really explain what it’s like. There seems to be a strong group of people who have lived there for a long time, but there is also a lot of poverty, crime, and drugs. HFH has done tons of work in the neighborhood, but there is still a lot to be done.
I’ve also just signed up to work with Big Brothers Big Sisters (www.biglittle.org). They’re still working on placing me with a “Little” and I’m excited to start. I don’t doubt that this will be a very challenging experience, but also hope that it will be worthwhile. Most of the boys in this program don’t have fathers or any other strong male influence in their lives. While I’m nowhere near perfect for this role, I really don’t feel like I have to be. All I need to do is care and the rest will come from that.
These are both fantastic organizations that I’m proud to be working with. There is a lot of need in our city and both of these are a great way to help out. If you have any inkling that one of these might be for you, please check out their sites. I’m really no one special, I’m just trying to live what I say that I believe. Anyone else can do the same.
