I must say that I am still waiting to find out new information about Detroit. I know that the experiences I have had growing up does not make me an expert on the city so I am looking forward to hearing about some new things from my site and peers in DCERP. I can say that I have been learning a lot about black owned businesses in the city that I have never heard of from social media. I can’t wait to explore some unknown places in my free time with friends and family.
Friends of Parkside is working in conjunction with the University of Michigan’s Poverty Solutions on the COVID-19 Resource Connector Project. Residents at The Villages of Parkside were asked to fill out an Application for Resources so that we could get an idea of what they most needed during this time. A few of the things that were requested included education materials for children, financial assistance with bills, and food assistance. One major piece of the project involves connecting residents with specific resources or organizations in the area that would help them with their individual requests. COVID-19 affected the accessibility to necessary resources and the Resource Connector Project is just one of the many things that Friends of Parkside is doing to help alleviate some of the stress that residents may be experiencing.
Last Friday, the 12th, I had the opportunity to sit in on a call with the Detroit 5th Precinct and they debriefed about the graduation celebration they organized for high school seniors in the area the day before. I was given the task of reaching out to families and listening to their feedback. “Wonderful.” “I would not change a thing.” “My bother loved it.” These are a few of the comments that I heard from family members of the graduates. I am glad that students are still being recognized and applauded for all of their great work. We are still in very uncertain times, but it is nice to see that happiness and positive energy is still being shared. I also have a younger sister who had her virtual graduation earlier today and I couldn’t be more proud. This is not the way we would have imagined the class of 2020 to be celebrated but I am happy to see that good things are coming out of an unorthodox reality.
Hey Rakira! I really loved the title you gave for your blog post this week! It’s really unfortunate how COVID-19 has seemingly made every aspect of our lives and the community around us so different. But it sounds amazing that you’re able to impact those affected by COVID-19 directly through the projects you’re working on!
Also, my best friend recently graduated with her Associate’s Degree. For a while, she was so disappointed and bummed out that she wasn’t able to have a graduation in person with a diploma and everything since she wasn’t able to have that in high school. Even though virtual graduation doesn’t live up to many of our expectations, seeing my friend celebrating so positively and excited for her name to be recognized on the computer screen for her graduation also couldn’t help but make me feel proud and happy for her too! 🙂
Hey Sarah! I’m glad you liked the title. COVID-19 has definitely made life difficult in more ways than one, but its admirable to see the different ways people are handling the situation. Congrats to your best friend!