Working at Build Chicago

I am doing a volunteer year through a program called YAV( Young Adult Volunteers). I was placed with an organization named Build Chicago. I am interning there through my volunteer year.  This organization works with kids doing gang intervention and prevention. So far it has been great.

  I am working at an elementry school doing gang prevention. The name of the school is Leif Ericson. It is a K-8 school. When I'm at the school I work with the kids in a classroom setting as well as helping with recess. In the classrooms I help the kids with their work along with helping the teacher with anything they need. It has been great to get to know the kids and see them progress in school.

 I also work with an after school program through Build. We have about 60 kids that are in the program every afternoon. I help them with their homework, mentor them, help teach them social skills and life skills, and play games with them and have a good time. It's a great place for these kids to come and hang out, get the help they need with their homework, and a place for them to learn things they would not on the street.

 Their have been some things that have happened with a few of the kids that have been really rough and stretched me in ways I never thought possible. I have had kids lose parents gun violence, kids who have tried to give up in life, and kids who have really excelled in areas that I didn't know you could excel in at that age. 

 I have taken these kids under my wing. I am trying to help them the best I can and teach them that there are people out there who care for them and want to see them succeed. I really see these kids doing a lot in their life. These kids are very smart and very perceptive. They have a lot going for them.

 This year has been great so far. I have learned a lot. I can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store. 

 

Christmas Break

  Christmas was a lot of fun. I got to go home for a week. I got to see a lot of people I have not seen in 4 months. It was a well worth it trip.

  I flew home to Atlanta the Sunday before Christmas. I was super excited to get home. That night I was home for all off 15 minutes before I left to go to a Christmas party. I had been looking forward to this for a couple weeks. I got to see a lot of people from church. The best part was seeing the freshman college guys that were kids I worked with when they were in high school. I also got to see a great friend of mine that was the main reason I am doing the stuff I am doing. It turned out to be a great night.

  That Monday I went out shopping with my sister. We had a great time. It was nice to spend some quality time with her. Then on Tuesday I went to Dunwoody. It's was nice to see all my friends at the Christmas Eve service. That night I went to a Christmas party with my family and friends and had a great time. Thursday I went to lunch with a buddy of mine then hung out with all the guys I have not gotten to hang out with in a while .

  Friday we drove back to Chicago and my family stayed up here for a few days. The weekend was amazing. We went to Oakbrook with my aunt, went to my cousins restaraunt for dinner, went to Naperville to see family, went downtown to shop, went ice skating at Mellinium Park, and had a great time. 

  Overall Christmas break was awesome. It went by way to fast. I can't wait to see everybody again. 

Christmas

December was a crazy month. I had all sorts of Christmas parties to attend and a lot of different events at work to go to. The best parts of the month had to be the Diversity Conference and the Holiday Gift Giving events at work.

The Diversity Conference was put on by Build's youth council. It was a conference that had different workshops and performances for the kids to be a part of and do. The workshops ranged from gentrification and the history of Chicago to cyber violence in today's world. These workshops were a great way for the kids to learn a lot about different issues in Chicago and around the world.

  Once the workshops were over the kids were able to show off their talents. That afternoon we had a lot of kids who got up on stage and played instruments, rapped, and sang. These kids are amazing performers. They blew me away with what they could do. 

(Diversity Conference)

  The next big event was the Holday Gift Giving event. We nominated families from our program that we felt would benefit from this event. Then families from each school were selected to come to the event (3-4 families from each school). We had everybody come to our office for dinner and to give gifts to about 70 kids. This event was a huge success. The kids and their families had a great time. It was really co to hear what people were thankful for and see everybody on staff do something for these kids at the holidays.

  There was one family that I was really happy to have there. They went through a tough holiday season. Two of the students I work with at Ericson lost their dad in October or early November. He was shot and killed. The two kids had a really tough time dealing with it. I wanted them to be a part of this event to let them know that there were people out there that care about them and will be there for them. I was really happy to see they had a good time and that they were making it through the hard times with the support of people who care about them. 

(Holiday Gift Giving)

  December turned out to be an amazing month in so many ways. I really enjoyed getting to be a part of these events and really get to know what people are going through. I would not change it for the world. I can't wait to see what is left for the rest of the year!