Dear Elsie Welsie,
Did you ever think your boss would give you such a fun nickname? This is going to be an awesome summer – getting paid to work for an urban gardening nonprofit, living in an apartment building with other U of M interns, free evenings and weekends for exploring the city of Detroit. It’s my summer to learn, work, and have fun. My main, general goal for these 10 weeks is to gain a perspective, skillset, and empowerment necessary to effectively reach people in a community setting. Since I’m thinking about going into nonprofit business, knowing how to communicate, assess, and address community issues in an effective but sensitive manner are important skills to have, and this program is the perfect opportunity to start to gain these skills, as well as figure out what role I want to take later in life within community development. Other specific goals I have are to learn more about Detroit’s history and current movements. I’m already learning from the books my boss gave me, The Next American Revolution by the late Detroit activist Grace Lee Boggs, and Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome by Joy DeGruy. I was always uncertain of the impact things like local neighborhood urban gardens really have on their community, but I’m becoming convinced that revolution and comes from the people getting their communities together in these sorts of spaces.
While I’m mostly excited about my work because I’m going to spend so much time outside working with plants and community members, I also love that it is a small nonprofit because I’m encouraged to make my own significant impact on the organization. I see so much potential for growth at the Hope House. There’s an education center building that needs a lot of work and organizing. There’s a supply shed that could be turned into a meditation/reflection space. There’s endless opportunities for new programs to be implemented at the garden to connect community members of all ages with each other and nature.
Coming from Saginaw, which is often referred to as a “mini-Detroit”, I’ve always wanted to get to know Detroit beyond the occasional concert and Tigers game I usually attend to see the similarities for myself. I perceive Detroit as an economically struggling city with a lot of culture and potential for new movements in politics, arts, and other areas. I’m hoping I can take some of the things I learn this summer back to Saginaw. I’m already making some great friends, and hope to take advantage of the time I have here and learn about myself, the nonprofit sector, and Detroit.
Have fun! And don’t procrastinate on these blog posts anymore!
Love,
Elsa
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The two dots above was to test the comment section but I can’t figure out how to delete it! Anyways, Elsa, your Enthusiasm is amazing and I relate to your blog so much. I am also very excited to work, to learn about Detroit, and to have fun this summer. Those books that your boss gave you seem very interesting and I think I’m going to check them out. I really enjoyed reading your blog and I look forward to the next one!
Elsa I love this. It’s clear you’re passionate about what you’re doing and you’re making the most out of it. I also want you to recognize that this position is not something everyone could do so gracefully–manual labor in the sun in a part of the city you don’t know–I love seeing you see it all as an opportunity. I also think the parallels you’re drawing between Detroit and Saginaw are interesting. I’ve never been to Saginaw and to be honest I’ve never heard much about it, but it’s evident that you care a lot about your hometown and I respect that. I’m excited to hear how this all develops and what projects you come up with!