As I reflect on today, I want to say that I gave the boys I interacted with the “Greatest Gift of All.” I gave them someone their age to talk to that we as teenagers desperately need. The struggle of dealing with emotions is common and we cannot talk about them easily with adults.
Today, we visited the other part of Homestead. The place was called Homestead: Grassroots, and it houses young kids who have been abandoned and who have been on drugs. It takes “baby” steps, and when the kids finally complete their rehabilitation, they are moved from Grassroots to The Launch Pad.
A boy named Patrick who I talked to had a very inspirational story. He decided at a young age to change his life for the better, so he stopped using drugs and focused on having his own responsibilities.
Another part of today was planning what we were going to do for the Homestead children. In the facility, there is a open basketball court used as a concrete soccer field that we plan on revitalizing to make it a basketball court again. Also, we plan on zip tying the soccer net for the soccer field in the back of the facility. One of my friends is going to bring a game from Johannesburg for the kids to play as well. We had a great discussion and planning session today with both my peers and the kids from The Launch Pad. I am excited for tomorrow and I can’t wait to change lives. Until next time!
Elijah D., Eastern High School