The sixth week in the program and it’s starting to get weird. Weird in a good way. When I go out and make my “anti-idling pitch” to people I always make sure to tell them I am from Southwest Detroit. That I am no stranger to the community and that I am really working for myself here. I am working to make my community more breathable and hopefully while I am doing this inspire more people to work together.
I am also attending a lot of community events for my project and I end up being in a weird place. I am there as a representative of Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision, but I am also there as a community member. It’s weird because I am looking at the resources people are offering and I see that my family can take advantage of some. When I hear other DCBRP projects and what they offer I am also thinking like this.
I know that there are other Detroit student’s in the program but I don’t know if the think the same way. It’s hard to articulate but it’s just odd working towards your community and still needing more resources from it.
I love my placement, this is just what I have been feeling lately.
I feel you alot. Im not from Detroit (Lansing!) , but in middle school, I used to volunteer at a place where they gave away free food (like a community kitchen but outside) and I helped but I also was a beneficiary too. I think that thats how it should be people that will benefit helping with it, I feel like it gives you more agency and just more caring for the quality of the work you are doing, because its for you too. You don’t get to “go home” to your reality, this is your reality.
Thanks for writing this! I really liked it!
Thanks for telling me you’ve felt this too! 🙂