The Give pillar of Challenge Detroit is the one pillar that stood out and meant the most to me. Throughout my life, I have always enjoyed volunteering in my hometown of New York City and helping others out. What appealed the most to me about volunteering is not only the aspect of helping others, but also making a difference in their lives; that’s what means the most to me. Within our ten challenges during the one-year Challenge Detroit program, we have the opportunity to give back to so many people, and some of these people we haven’t even met yet. My favorite volunteering activities are the ones that are more hands-on. Some good examples of these are activities were cleaning up the Detroit Riverwalk, and the 100 Houses project in the Osborn neighborhood.

Mentoring children in the community is another volunteering activity that is one of my favorites and very dear to my heart. Since I have moved to Detroit, I have dedicated some of my time to mentor three young adults. Two of them are in high school and one of them is in elementary school. I’ve come to realize by engaging the youth in any community, you can make a huge difference; not only in their lives but you may end up making a difference in the lives of people that are connected to them as well. We all have the opportunity to mentor someone and motivate them in life, which could end up resulting in them wanting to give back to their own community.

With our current challenge partnering with Beaumont Health System, we have the opportunity to motivate children all throughout Detroit and greater Detroit. Working with kids I’ve come to realize how much of an effect their eating habits can have on their lives. Sadly a lot of these kids do not realize how important this issue is. Our goal in our current challenge is to find a way to make eating healthy and exercising fun for these kids. My hopes are that once we make a change in kid’s lives, they may encourage their friends to make the change as well. The main reason why I decided to apply to Challenge Detroit is primarily because of it’s Give aspect. Detroit just seemed to be an underdog city with unlimited potential. People have forgotten how rich the culture is in Detroit and how resourceful the residents of Detroit can be. However, I am confident through the Give aspect of Challenge Detroit we can not only show the world how rich the culture in Detroit can be but also how unique and special the people in Detroit are to their communities.