This past year I have been involved with a local nonprofit organization called Glastonbury, A Better Chance. This organization operates under the umbrella of the national A Better Chance program. My husband has been a board member for the last couple of years, so I have been learning about the program through him. I was interested in finding a way that I, too, could contribute.
The house where the students live with resident directors has badly needed some upgrades, repairs and a major facelift. A donation made this year was directed to make some improvements to the house. Which, of course, was my opportunity to jump in and use my skills to help make this house into a home for these outstanding young men.
I recently was invited to join the Board of Directors and am thrilled to make the commitment to such an important and worthwhile organization, and of course, to the boys themselves. We worked on the family room this summer. Another local nonprofit group, called A Room With A New View, ( http://www.roomwithanewview.org/) had volunteered to do some painting at the house, so I was able to meet and get to know some incredible, talented, generous women. Meg Callahan, Cheri Holden, and Kate Becker.
They originally funded their own projects for some time, then the Hartford Courant newspaper heard of them and wrote a story about their work. Someone from Wachovia Bank saw the article, contacted them and an alliance was made.
Wachovia Bank now funds their projects and Wachovia Bank employees volunteer to put in their own sweat equity whenever they can. If fact, this past Friday, I stopped by the ABC House to meet some of those Wachovia Bank employees as they were painting some of the boy’s bedrooms at our house. One of the employees told me when they send out the email for the volunteer sign ups, he has to tell them, it is on a first come first serve basis. He said people fight to get on the list!
I am hoping more donations will be made to Glastonbury ABC House so that I can add a few more touches of artwork and accessories to finish it off, but I am happy with the outcome. When the boys returned to the house after spending the summer home with their families, they were thrilled. And that’s really what it’s all about, isn’t it?
The Glastonbury ABC House has students from different urban areas come to live and attend high school. Glastonbury High School has had ABC scholars as students for the last 33 years.
We have a large house that the students live at together. Our program is for boys only. We have resident directors who live at the house with the boys and oversee the boy’s day-to-day activities as well as managing their academic needs and college planning and preparation. Each boy has a host family from the community for the 4 years they are here. They spend time during the week and on planned weekends throughout the year. These relationships very often become committed, life-long relationships.
This is a wonderful organization and I would encourage everyone to check and see if you have a local program that could use your support.
From the Glastonbury ABC Website (Some of the information on their site is outdate – we are looking for someone to volunteer to help with the site and manage it for the organization) here is some high level information. A Better Chance is the preeminent resource for identifying, recruiting and developing leaders among young people of color in the United States.
Founded in 1974, Glastonbury ABC has been home to over 70 scholars. Hailing from New York, Boston and other cities up and down the east coast, these young men have been afforded the opportunity for a better education than they otherwise would have been able to receive. Moreover, the program helps its scholars to develop leadership skills and other abilities with the intention that they are optimally prepared for success in college and beyond.
A Better Chance is recognized nationally as the preeminent program in the identification, recruitment and education of young people of color (African-American, Latino, Asian-American and Native American). Participants who qualify for and are accepted into the program have access to unsurpassed educational and leadership opportunities.
From the national website - http://www.abetterchance.org/ The Governor of Massachusetts is just one of the success stories of the ABC program. Spotlight on Success "It starts with the premise that talent resides in every American community - and then puts that talent in the way of opportunity. Its as simple and powerful as that." Deval L. Patrick Governor, Commonwealth of Massachusetts A Better Chance Alumnus Milton Academy ‘74
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