THE GOAL...
When Shawn and I opened up the gym 6 years ago our immediate goal was to give kids in the neighborhood a safe place to hang out and come play ball. As we got to know the kids that routinely would come, those goals deepened. Not only did we want to give them a safe place to hang out, we also wanted to help them learn, grow and ultimately transform their own neighborhood. We knew that it was a long-term goal. When we first opened the gym, the largest age group that came were 10 an 11-year-old boys. Then the girls followed the boys shortly after that, sitting on the bleachers, watching the boys play and chatting with one another, getting into their own drama and arguments just like the boys on the court. Before long we had a core group of late elementary to early middle schoolers that were there every day. We talked with them, we encouraged them, we broke up fights, and over the years we watched them grow up.
About a year into open gym an outspoken, dynamic 7th grader named Myasia showed up at the gym. She lived just down the street and her mother kept a tight hold on her, worried she would fall into the wrong crowd. She knew all the kids at the gym, including Amirrion and all of his friends. She was confident in who she was, which was unusual for a middle schooler and that confidence often made her a target. We once had to break up a fight between her and another girl who had attacked her in the hallway at the gym just because they were talking at each other. After that her mother kept her at home for a while, but we would occasionally see her still.
On Tuesday this week, Myasia stopped by the Mackin. She was looking for Shawn and me to say thank you for everything we did for her and the community. She left her number with the school receptionist. That evening, we called her. She sounded so grown up. She had just graduated high school at the beginning of June and the next morning she was headed to Nashville to start her college career at Tennessee State University. She planned to study psychology.
“Did you know we have a school now?” Shawn asked her over the phone. “I saw that when I stopped by she said, that’s amazing!” she responded. “When you graduate you should come back and see what’s going on, we can always use people with skills in counseling and psychology,” Shawn continued. “I will for sure do that,” she replied.
Myasia in a photo from right before her high school graduation.
We wished her the best, asked her to send us her mailing address when she got to school, and told her if she ever needed an internship or wanted to come back and hang out over breaks to let us know.
When we hung up the phone it was all Shawn and I could do not to cry. All those kids that first started hanging out at the Mackin building 6 years ago were graduating high school. The long-term goal was actually within reach. Those kids that came to the gym to play ball, hang out and chat with their friends were now ready to either go on to college like Myasia, or stay and work in their community like Sebastian. It was actually happening; they were actually doing it. All the struggle, all the heart ache when Amirrion was killed (he would have graduated high school this year also), all the time spent, it’s all worth it. It was an unexpected encouragement to hear from Myasia this week. While the school has been going great and we are well into our second week we thought we would be waiting another 10 years before we had students that were graduating and coming back to continue to build their community. It’s hard not to feel like time is going slow and fast at the same time. It seems like so long ago that we first opened the gym, but it also feels like it’s too soon for that first group that showed up to be graduating and becoming adults. They are forever rowdy 11-year-olds in my mind, trying to figure out life and navigate the cards they have been dealt. Now they are poised to be the next generation of leaders in the community.
Years ago, Shawn had a dream of a forest on fire. Huge oak trees drowning in flames. He and I were running around with 5-gallon buckets of water trying to douse the trees. Whenever we’d get one put out and turn to the next one, we’d look back and the one we just put out was back on fire. That’s what days at open gym felt like, firefighting with no equipment and limited water supplies. Then the dream turned, and Shawn saw a huge field of tiny saplings beyond a firebreak. That’s when we started the pre-school in 2018. We figured we could do more good building the firebreak of a preschool than running around trying to douse trees here and there. But Myasia’s phone call on Tuesday proved to me that dousing those trees with 5-gallon buckets was not all in vain. A few survived the fire, and now we're ready to show the saplings not just how to stay on the other side of the firebreak, but to thrive.
FISH FRYDAY!
Today is Friday and we have the fish! Be sure to stop by today and get a fresh fish sandwich and side at the fishfry! We're open until 7pm!
2519 St Cecilia St
11am - 7pm
(502)-890-5988
CLASSROOM SCHOOL SUPPLY NEEDS...
We do need help with specific school supplies for our classrooms to get ready for school. We have set up an Amazon wishlist to make sending supplies easy. Just click on the link below to select items from the list and they will be shipped directly to the school.
Mighty Oak Academy Supplies Wishlist
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.
Please consider partnering financially with Love City. We are looking for sponsors for students at Mighty Oak Academy as well as partners to help fund construction of our new preschool. Click the button below to donate today.