On a recent trip to Alabama, I discovered again how fulfilling it is to give back to those in need. Along with a group of teenagers from a local high school, we trekked into the heart of Dixie to assist a mother and her children improve their home as they struggle to rise above the suffocating grip of poverty.
But something was missing. The gratitude and appreciation we received was extraordinary, and we could immediately see a tremendously positive difference in the lives of the people we helped. But then we left for home and it might be years, if ever, when we return to the lives of the friends we made over the course of a couple weeks.
So when I discovered local teacher and former marine Marcus Brown wanted to construct a neighborhood resource center just blocks away from my home, I was ecstatic.
Marcus and his wife, Chitra, made the spectacular decision to dip into their retirement savings to purchase a home on Barnes Ave., just east of Washington Ave. Such a decision came after an incident that changed Marcus’ life.
Not long ago, Marcus heard gunshots from his home near the proposed center. He went outside to investigate and found a teenager shot and unresponsive. Marcus did his best with the training he learned in the armed forces to resuscitate the boy, but ultimately it was not enough.
After the tragedy, Marcus decided he needed to be a part of the solution, and a neighborhood center to help keep young people out of trouble and on-track seemed like the perfect idea. So, after consultation with City officials, he bought a foreclosed home for $10,000 and invested $12,000 more to get it up to code.
But one additional layer of ordinance needs to be met: a handicap accessible bathroom. With estimates for the remodeling hovering around $6,000, I deliberated for about three seconds then decided I would donated my labor and as much material as I could find to help Marcus finish his project. I hoped others would join me in supporting the vital grass-root community endeavor Marcus is establishing with his youth resource center. I was deeply grateful but not surprised that Rycus Flooring was willing to donate the necessary material to install a new tile floor in the new Village Summit handicap accessible bathroom.
I love to give back to anyone who is in need, through Heritage Flooring or as an individual. It’s morally imperative for me to help those less fortunate. And when it’s someone in my neighborhood, where my own children run and play, I take all the more pride in giving back.
