Today our trip to the Padua Center was great! We did a lot of moving and organizing. Just as we pulled in, you could tell that the neighborhood is in an unfortunate situation. The people living there have great houses, and you can tell that they are really trying to make in a wonderful place to live. The reason why the area is not so great is because of the buildings surrounding it. There were a lot of boarded up buildings, burned buildings, and just run down buildings which were in poor shape. In general, the Padua Center was definitely a safe place in an area of crime.
When we were working, we move a TON of stuff. The amount of stuff we moved was amazing. I began to wonder how they got all the stuff. Was it mostly donations or did they buy it? Either way just by the number of things it showed the impact that they make. They had whole curriculum books there. The Padua Center is really a great place, and they really try to make a difference in the childrens' lives. They try to make an educational impact on the kids, a fun impact, and a safe impact. They have lots of games, computers, and play equipment for the kids. They also have a subtle way of encouraging hard-work in education by placing banners for colleges on their walls.
One of the things that was done today was tutoring. Nora tutored a little girl who was in fourth grade and suspended. After we left, and Nora told us more about her, I realized what kind of people they are effecting. The girl was a foster child. She did have an atitude, but, according to Nora, was a great and smart kid who was just behind on her school work. For this girl, the Padua center is a GREAT place. She probably developed her atitude because of her switching houses and the adults she was around. She was a great girl, who got suspended because she didn't know better. The Padua Center, and us, offer her a safe place. She can catch up on her school work and learn for Nora about what is appropriate and what isn't. I really feel bad for the people who live in that area because they can't control what goes on around them. They try to stop it, but they can't. The Padua Center is a place of hope for them.
By: Sachin Hejeebu
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