#Volunteer Spotlight : The ARK of St. Sabina - @ARKofStSabina
2016 was of the most violent years in Chicago history and ended with a sobering tally.
803 homicides, the most in two decades in the city and more than New York and Los Angeles combined - New York logged 334 homicides, while Los Angeles saw 294.
In 2016, on average a person was shot every 2 hours and murdered every 11 hours.
It’s become an epidemic in our fair city. Unfortunately, it seems as if the politicians don’t have the will or humanity to stop the violence. While news reports cover some of these shootings, they are too frequent and the city has become numb to it.
There are areas in Chicago that become known as shooting gallery neighborhoods. Austin, Englewood, Garfield Park and Lawndale have the unfortunate honor of leading Chicago in violence.
After hearing this news, I knew I needed to get involved.
I was lucky enough to meet an incredible man and mission.
I was introduced to Fr. Michael Pfleger, who has become the city’s last remaining social activist priest. While I may not align with all of his beliefs and politics, he’s an older, white, Irish man who is single-handedly trying to save Chicago from imploding.
Since 1981, Fr. Pfleger has been pastor of the mostly African American parish of St. Sabina’s in Englewood. His tenure is unheard of in a diocese where pastors usually serve for a handful of years.
St. Sabina has become the leader in outreach in Englewood and throughout the city. In addition to the church, there is a Catholic school, The ARK (focusing on youth), an employment center, a charity arm, an elderly home, multiple foster homes owned and run by the church, special guest speakers, rallies, protests, gun collection drives...you name it, they’ve done it.
I knew right away that I wanted to work at The ARK.
”The ARK” symbolizes a safe haven for at-risk youth. From education to employment, The ARK offers a vast array of free programs for youth and young adults ages 6-28. The ARK serves over 600 youth annually at no cost to them and their families. Participants come from a 15-mile radius to attend the incredible programming.
Students go to the ARK after school for 4-5 hours. This time includes social time, recreation time, mandatory homework time, tutoring, reading, computers, dance, photography, music....the list goes on and on.
I came to The ARK eager to help.
I started volunteering with the youth in our program, playing basketball with the kids and helping to the tutor them after school. Although I hadn’t played basketball in years, I would get out there with boys half my age, and engage them in conversations while trying my best to keep up with them on the basketball court.
Shortly after I started volunteering at the ARK, the executive director shared with me that they needed help building a new website, creating and customizing a CRM, and some other needs. It was great to not only help the students in the community, but to also build a stronger ARK that can continue to grow and prosper.
They can’t change everything and it won’t change overnight, but little by little they are making a huge impact on the students and the community.