Volunteering in Detroit has always been a huge part of my life. Actually, trying to find a nonprofit that I’ve had nothing to do with before was kinda difficult. Trying to fit our volunteer hours into my month was going to be a task on its own as well. Luckily, I was reminded about the Mercy Education Project and their schedule and mission worked out perfectly.
MEP was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1992 to provide tutoring to girls in Southwest Detroit. They now serve “the remedial educational needs of at-risk women and girls in one of Detroit’s poorest areas”. Naturally this hit home since I grew up in these poor conditions in a Southwest Detroit that was hit hard during the recession. My mother and I had to leave Mexico, and Southwest is where we started a new chapter.
My mom never let me focus on anything else other than education. Marriage and children and taking care of a husband was often pushed by extended family members and friends growing up. But whenever I brought it up to my mother she, unlike others, told me that I should get my degree first. That I should first become independent in order to never have to depend on anyone else. I think this is why I’m so interested in opportunity. It’s really our lack of opportunity that keeps us from being able to depend on ourselves. Growing up knowing this and knowing that all we needed was a little help, made me want to do nothing but give back. I was very fortunate in opportunities. My mother worked incredibly hard while she raised me and my younger brother. She made sure that we lived in a warm, beautiful, welcoming home with food on the table and bills paid on time no matter how many hours it took. She made sure we received the best education possible. She never said no to choir, dance, gymnastics, theatre, soccer, or tap classes. Things like volunteering, traveling, camping, and tutoring opportunities and so much more.
I think this is where I and a growing number of young residents defer from a still very large part of Southwest. It’s scary to let your child go to programs when you don’t speak the language and when you’re in a completely different country. When you think that you may not be able to afford a program or drive your child to such activities. But my mother knew what she was doing when she let go of that fear and let me stay at every after school program I could join until I had to start working at 15 years old in order to buy my first car. In order to drive from Southwest Detroit to Mercy High School in Farmington Hills. This is where I was exposed to more work by the Sisters of Mercy and where I continued to grow and give and where so many great things happened.
Giving with MEP only seemed natural. When looking at their achievement board I see that girls from Southwest are being accepted to Mercy High School and to the University of Detroit Mercy. Both schools that have changed my life. Both schools I spent all 9 years giving. The little girl I tutor is so smart and I want nothing but her success. I know she can do it. I know because I did too through the help of others who believed that what they were doing actually mattered.
I guess I give because I truly believe that we can change lives. It matters. And the wonderful thing is that you can do it too. Give. Change a life.
