PERSPECTIVE

During my time at Community Justice Project I volunteered my Monday and Wednesday afternoons to the Outreach Project at the Children’s Checkup Center in Hall Manor. My Monday afternoons were spent with adolescent girls in a program called “Healthy Image”. Healthy Image was designed to help teenage girls by develop self-confidence, self-respect and to offer advice and guidance in the difficult decisions they may have to make at their age. My Wednesday afternoons were spent reading books and doing other fun activities with kids from the ages of 6-11. Since summer camp is not really an option for a lot of these children, they look forward to their time at Story Hour. It had always been my impression that there was not much to learn from children, they were to be taught.  My time in Hall Manor has taught me to listen and learn from children.

I spent a couple hours a week by their side
Their depth and courage much more than I

I volunteered my time to offer a guide
Their depth and courage much more than I

Open and defiant, with nothing to hide
Their depth and courage much more than I

I can’t teach them life the way they’ve taught me
They live in the realist realm, not up on high street

I can’t teach them life the way they’ve taught me
I’ve never gone hungry because of money

I can’t teach them life the way they’ve taught me
Only two days a week is what I had to see

If there were more things to learn
They are who I would be

If I had to survive on my own
They are who I would be

If I had the strength of one
They are who I would be