#3 - Class and SES

I serve with Mercy Street Ministries in West Dallas, a very low SES area of the Metroplex.  The neighborhood high schools is DISD's Pinkston High School, and has one of the highest dropout rates in the country.  Many problems plague this zip code, including - but not limited to - high teenage pregnancy rate, generational poverty, lack of quality role models, education is not valued, cyclical abuse, and unemployment.  While many people are exposed to these problems, there is a chance for change...if people are willing to do what it takes.

Mercy Street has decided to bridge the gap and allow the neighborhood kids opportunities to excel and see that there is life beyond what they know.  I have loved getting to be a part of life in West Dallas, part of a family there, and part of an organization that truly loves the people that live there with the love of God.  It is a selfless love, and is not conditional -- it's never based on what the kids/families can give or do, how they perform, or what they say or wear.  It's a love that offers grace - we all make mistakes.  One of the big ways that Mercy Street has broken down the barriers over the Hampton Bridge from West Dallas to North Dallas is with a mentorship/discipleship program.  The goal is to match up every 4th grader at the local elementary school with a loving, caring adult who will commit to walk with that kid and family as long as they can (ideally through high school).  Right now there are over 500 mentors, and they are always seeking more.  The graduation rate for students with mentors through Mercy Street is 70%, compared to the near 20% at the rest of the school.  Mercy Street also takes up to 20 high schoolers on a college tour over spring break to encourage them to go to college and give them resources to know they can do it!

I started mentoring a girl halfway through her fourth grade year, and now she is halfway through sixth grade.  She has grown, matured, and changed, even though she often acts like a sixth grade girl.  We have had lots of conversations on what it is to make good decisions, how to make good decisions that will benefit now and later, and how to go through this stage of life.  From learning table manners, to exposure to restaurants, to help with homework, to watching TV together, to babysitting, to going to summer camp...my girl knows I love her and she's valuable -- she's worth my time.  Last summer we filled in applications for her to attend the new neighborhood charter school.  She was accepted, and is excelling in every subject (even the one she doesn't like).  Her teachers take time to invest in her and ensure that she understands the material.  The partnership Mercy Street has with the school has opened doors for mentors to participate in school activities that otherwise we may not be able to.  I have seen the impact that mentoring her has had - she treats her mother more respectfully, she volunteers to care for her younger brothers without wanting anything in return, and she wants to go to school.  More than that, I have seen the impact on her family - they are open to me coming any time to anything, they wanted my input on naming the new baby brother, they invite me to family and friends' events, and they see me as part of their family.

All in all, one way that students have an opportunity to break the SES barrier is through positive role models.  There are many ways, but this is the main one that I have seen personally impact my life.  I am truly grateful for my sweet mentee, and the impact has been mutual.  My eyes have been opened to another culture 5 miles from my house, and my heart has been opened to a family that needs me...and I need them.  Our society is so intertwined, whether we want to admit it or not.  Let's seek the good of everyone that is in it, not just ourselves.  Let's have open hearts and minds to see beyond our own circles and step out to make a difference.