East End Academy student Angel Gowder with one of the residents of the Vintage Senior Center during the Thanksgiving meal. Credit: Tyler Hawkins
At Communities In Schools, everything we do is guided by the “Five Basics.” Developed by our founder, Bill Milliken, the Five Basics are a set of essentials that every child needs and deserves. They help us make sure that every child has everything he or she needs to graduate and head toward a successful future. They include:
1. A one-on-one relationship with a caring adult.
2. A safe place to learn and grow.
3. A healthy start and a healthy future.
4. A marketable skill to use upon graduation.
But the last of the Five Basics is a little different. Rather than describe what services our organization can give to a student, the fifth Basic, a chance to give back to peers and community, is all about what a student can give to the world. Communities In Schools always encourages students to make a difference by helping others.
And the students from Communities In Schools of Pittsburgh-Allegheny County recently did just that. Last week, 24 students from Pittsburgh’s East End Academy brought Thanksgiving early to a local senior center by serving up a delicious dinner and spending time with the residents.
Communities In Schools of Pittsburgh-Allegheny County’s East End Academy is not your average school. Its 36 students have all dropped out before, some more than once. But they work hard in a local community center to complete their education, and turn their lives around. And while many students would roll their eyes at the idea of helping out at a senior center, the young men and women from East End Academy jumped at the opportunity.
“Our students have great respect for the elderly,” said Jesse Sprajcar, director of programs and outreach for Communities In Schools of Pittsburgh-Allegheny County. “It’s like giving back to their grandparents, or people that are associated with their grandparents. It’s very personal for them, and it always amazes me how much they enjoy it.”
Other than the cooking, which they left to the senior center chefs, the students did everything to make sure the Thanksgiving dinner was perfect. They set the tables, served the food and spent the entire meal talking and laughing with the 165 attendees. And when the night was over, they cleaned everything up.
“They really run with it every year,” Sprajcar said. This is the sixth year that East End Academy has volunteered at the senior center.
Communities In Schools encourages students to help others. When students are able to make a positive difference in the world around them, they feel like valuable members of the community.
Bill Milliken was once asked at a Congressional hearing: What is the difference between the kids you’ve seen who made it and ones who didn’t? His answer: “The children I have seen succeed are the children we allowed to succeed. We allowed them to give something to us. We need to listen to them, and then get them involved in feeding people, tutoring other children – that’s how they feel part of a community.”
