Dear Elsie Welsie,<\/p>\n
Did you ever think your boss would give you such a fun nickname? This is going to be an awesome summer \u2013 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\u2019s 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\u2019m 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\u2019s history and current movements. I\u2019m already learning from the books my boss gave me, The Next American Revolution<\/em> by the late Detroit activist Grace Lee Boggs, and Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome<\/em> by Joy DeGruy. I was always uncertain of the impact things like local neighborhood urban gardens really have on their community, but I\u2019m becoming convinced that revolution and comes from the people getting their communities together in these sorts of spaces.<\/p>\n While I\u2019m mostly excited about my work because I\u2019m going to spend so much time outside working with plants and community members, I also love that it is a small nonprofit because I\u2019m encouraged to make my own significant impact on the organization. I see so much potential for growth at the Hope House. There\u2019s an education center building that needs a lot of work and organizing. There\u2019s a supply shed that could be turned into a meditation\/reflection space. There\u2019s endless opportunities for new programs to be implemented at the garden to connect community members of all ages with each other and nature.<\/p>\n Coming from Saginaw, which is often referred to as a \u201cmini-Detroit\u201d, I\u2019ve 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\u2019m hoping I can take some of the things I learn this summer back to Saginaw. I\u2019m 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.<\/p>\n Have fun! And don\u2019t procrastinate on these blog posts anymore!<\/p>\n Love,<\/p>\n Elsa<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dear Elsie Welsie, Did you ever think your boss would give you such a fun nickname? This is going to be an awesome summer \u2013 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. 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