A Day at the BallPark…
This past Saturday was the opening day of the Portland Little League. It was a beautiful day from the weather to the atmosphere. A few hundred people were there watching all of the games. Mighty Oak Academy had students on every team. It was such an amazing day and it provided me with evidence of two things. Firstly, Love City is a piece of the greater Portland community. Secondly, Mighty Oak has helped build a community, not just a school.
A group of Mighty Oak students resting in between their double header and cheering on their younger classmates
Love City was never meant to operate as a silo within the neighborhood, the goal was to be grafted into the community. We wanted to become a natural part of Portland, we wanted to just become neighbors who love our neighbors. As I walked up to the ballpark to watch the first game I was surrounded by people I knew. My neighbor across the street was there watching his grandsons, my neighbor directly behind me was there to watch his daughter play her first game ever. Mighty Oak parents were there, the guys from the local hardware store were there, it seemed like half of Portland was there. Everyone was saying hello and having conversation, just enjoying the amazing day.
It was a beautiful scene to behold as parents cheered on their players and kids created a never ending line at the concessions waiting to get a piece of candy and a Gatorade. I would say there was an equal number of people at the ballpark who were involved in Love City programs as who weren’t, and they were all connected, inseparable from one another, one community. Within that one large community, can fit smaller communities, and these usually have deeper connections to one another and are more tight knit. Mighty Oak was always supposed to be one of those smaller tight knit communities within the greater community of Portland.
When we first started a school we were clear with everyone involved, we are building a community first, and if we do that, then the academics will naturally follow. Going to watch games of students is not something that schools do, it is what members of a community do. I was not the only one at the games Saturday, our Student Support Specialist Beth was also there, our administrator Nicole came by for a little bit as well. That is how things should be because community shows up for one another. To us it may just be a Little League game, but to our students it means a lot more.
Two Mighty Oak First Graders posing before their first game
In the fall semester, one of our students asked me to come watch his soccer game. I talked to his mom, Michelle, about his schedule and drove out to the Southend to watch one of his games. Michelle was shocked when she saw me, she didn’t think I was actually going to come. That hurt my heart because I want to help create a culture where community showing up is normal and not an anomaly. Love City is helping to create a culture where our students can count on people supporting them because they know that the people at Mighty Oak are not just teachers and administrators, but members of their community.
Ethan
While our 1,000 neighbors giving $25 a month campaign has officially ended, we are still looking for partners to help sponsor students at Mighty Oak Academy. If you can join in and partner with us please click the link below.
We've started a new semester at Mighty Oak Academy and can always use supplies. If you are interested in helping, please click the link below to either donate, or click here to see our Amazon list for specific supplies that are needed.
If you are interested in volunteering or to find out more information about supplies needed please email: info@lovecityinc.org or call (502) 272-078.