Our House e-newsletter August 2012 | Page 34

hometown Milwaukee, Wisconsin education Social Work BA, University of Wisconsin previous job 8 years working with inner-city youth community involvement member of Northeast Earth Institute, which finds greener ways of living Our House staff since September 15, 2010 I manage the after-school & summer programs. I look after all of our little guys & work with 13 hard-working VISTAs. Seeing some families not succeed right at this moment. It breaks my heart. But the kids are strong, & they will succeed. The kids provide me with as much strength & support as we try to give them. Every day there are scribbled love notes & pictures waiting for me. I get to watch the kids grow & have fun with them. If you come to visit, you will hear lots of laughter coming from the Our Club rooms. It reminds me of the beauty that can come from the world, from families, & from youth, if you connect with people who may not be just like you. It reminds me that none of our experiences are even close to the same, & that is the coolest thing we’ve got going for us. My goal is to continue doing work I want to wake up for in the morning. That’s it. The truthfulness that seems to pour out of the kids’ mouths always makes me laugh. Compassion.