You are on page 1of 2

Brett and Hollys new home at 1488 N. 5th St.

in Weinland Park

Making themselves at home


T
Volume 2 December 2012

Neighborhood makes Lawrences new home a popular hangout


he Lawrences move to the Weinland Park neighborhood finally took place on Oct. 16, after nearly two years of hoping and two months of delays. In the two months since Mr. Brett and Miss Hollys arrival, theres been scarcely a day when there hasnt been a knock, knock, knock from neighborhood kids pounding on the front door. The Lawrences have enjoyed costumed trick-or-treaters at the dining room table, hosted three neighborhood families for Thanksgiving, celebrated the end of schools first quarter with our middle-schoolers, and thrown a party for our step team. But the best part is just the drop-bys. Ty and Zy to play Legos. QuayQuay to hang out. The Alexanders for soccer. Kejhier and Keshown for milk and bananas. Dominoes and Uno in the living room. The door is always open, day or night. Home sweet home, indeed. Top left (clockwise): 1. Isaac; 2. Alicia and Aaron enjoy Thanksgiving at Lawrences; 3. QuayQuay; 4. Halloween candy exchange; 5. Holly and Sierra with their Thanksgiving pumpkin pie; 6. Keshawn enjoys a banana.

Tis the season to give


As 2013 approaches and the window on 2012 tax-deductible donations closes, would you consider making a year-end gift to Urban Impact? More than 80% of your gifts go to pay for direct services to the Weinland Park neighborhood, including running our after-school program, providing the neighborhoods only youth sports leagues and directing several growing faith-based childrens and youth small groups. Your donations also fund the provision of social services to families and children in dire, emergency need.

Clockwise, from left: a) Mr. Bob helps Rodney with his math homework, b) Kejuantae logs some reading time, c) Deon says, Its all good, while knocking out some homework, d) TJ, Fred and RoRo show some love for Mr. Brett and Miss Holly during a lunch visit at school.

It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.
Mother Teresa
YOUR YEAR-END GIFT can go a long way toward funding Urban Impacts projected 2013 budget of $60,000. No gift is too small, and our nonprofit status ensures the tax deductibility of your donation. Whether your gift is $1 or $10,000, your generosity is appreciatednot only by Urban Impact and the Lawrence family, but also by the neighbors, families and neighborhood we serve.

New program makes the grade


Student Impact connects middle-schoolers with tutoring, homework help
On Sept. 17, Urban Impact launched its new after-school program for Weinland Park 6th-, 7th- and 8th-graders. In the programs first two months, weve seen remarkable growth among the 10 students who regularly attend. Their grades have improved and the number of homework assignments they miss has dropped. But whats most exciting to us is the change in attitude were witnessing in several of our kids. Theres a new eagerness to learn and a new appreciation of whats at stake as they prepare for high school. Of course, there are frustrations, too. Among them is the growing realization that many of our kids lag far behind their peers, both in their middle school classes and statewide, in reading and math. Demarcus is an eighth-grader and the oldest of six children. We work with him in nearly all of our programs, and he trusts us. On the programs very first day, Mr. Brett was helping Demarcus try to solve a word problem in Pre-Algebra. It was clear almost immediately that Demarcus didnt know how to attack the problem, where to start, said Mr. Brett. He kind of stared at the page for a while, wrote down some random numbers that were in the problem, but nothing resembling problemsolving. Brett wanted to explore the gaps further, so he offered Demarcus the equation

Change begins with U and I


Urban Impact is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, serving Columbus Weinland Park neighborhood and focused on community development. Urban Impact PO BOX 30747, Columbus, OH 43230 www.urbanimpactcolumbus.org 614.344.1222 Follow us at twitter.com/urbanimpactcbus Like us at facebook.com/urbanimpactcbus

necessary to solve the problem. Demarcus, you need to divide 300 by 20, Brett told him. Lets start there. Demarcus wrote 300 20 on the page, then solved the subtraction equation by writing his answer: 28. T h a t s s u b t r a c t i o n , b u d , B r e t t explained. And lets work on 300-20 for a minute. The answer should be 280, right? An embarrassed nod from Demarcus. OK, heres what 300 divided by 20 looks like, Brett said, writing the equation on paper. Can you start by dividing 3 by 2? Demarcus held the pencil for a long time, staring at the wall, then Mr. Brett. Demarcus, lets try this, Mr. Brett whispered. Can you divide 8 by 4? A hesitant nod and a very quiet, No, was the answer. Moments like these are simultaneously heartbreaking and exhilarating. A soon-to-be high schoolers inability to solve the most basic of third-grade division problems is nothing to celebrate. At the same time, they remind us why we do what we doand they point to a truth thats especially meaningful during the holiday season. All of us have something to give. All of us can make an impact. Like so much of Urban Impacts work, Student Impact is making a difference, but the work is step-by-step, day-by-day. There are no easy shortcuts, only patience, love and a willingness to stand beside those whose dignity and value has often been taken for granted. Demarcus story reminds us that impact may be slow, or hard, or frustrating, but sometimes, its as simple as teaching a boy that 8 divided by 4 equals 2.

You might also like