Week 8:
Compassion, Connection, and Care- A week full of love

August 10, 2021

This past week has been one of a kind. We have grown in numerous ways in our mentor-mentee relationships with the kids and as colleagues and fellow leaders. The camp itself has contributed considerably to our self-exploration, self-awareness, and self-love.

This is my friend Angelica. What has fascinated me is how kids can grow out of their shells over time with the right care, attention, and positive re-enforcement. Angelica is one of those shy kids in the beginning, but as the camp proceeded, her creative self has flowered and cracked that shell of shyness. A total joy to witness what only 3-4-5-6 weeks of Summer Camp is capable of.

These are some more pictures from our art class- Art seems to be our most joyous time. It is wonderful to witness all the colors the kids bring vibrant ideas to breathe life into them on the art table. It’s even more refreshing to experience how they communicate these ideas, the kind of holistic affection they exhibit, and the cute rivalry that exists between each group.

One of our happy park pictures. The camp has prioritized healthy sports in respect of physical grooming and mental and emotional grooming. Learning about competitive yet kind sportsmanship is an important aspect of the psychological prowess of a kid.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the camp. Olivia’s birthday was a total delight. She is this tiny creature, soft-spoken and extremely kind. One of our youngest troopers. She is sitting at the end of the table, flanked by Luzz and Camila on either side.

The kids decided as part of their fun project, they will post stickers on me. So I took a selfie with some stickers on my forehead.

My favorite people from the camp are my co-workers and mentor Rev Katie (attired in a flowered dress with a black jacket). These leaders have contributed to my growth, developed my worldview, and aided my critical thought in so many numerous ways that it’s tough to encapsulate in words. They have been transformational in my fellowship- a journey that has become very fulfilling due to simply their presence, wisdom, and humor.

These are pictures from aboard the Province Town II by Harbor Now when we took our cruise trip together. One of the most empowering, relaxing, and rejuvenating times of the past few weeks. It was especially emotional because Reverend Katie will be joining another Church in September. So we are her last staff, and this is her last Summer Meals Program. ;-(

Lastly, I have continued to share and contribute to my interfaith dialogue and public scholarship series focused on Islam. As a Muslim, interfaith intern at the Fourth, this topic is one of the most important ones that I have endeavored to talk about in all of my interfaith dialogue interactions. Islamophobia remains a critical barrier for Muslims in successfully living their lives, accessing help, and integrating with local communities in the U.S. Talking about this important topic today has covered many milestones in my interfaith dialogue here at the Fourth.

When we started working with the kids, we as a staff were very mindful of the impact that covid’s year-long isolation had created and the kind of trauma that families had gone through. In our holistic commitment to bringing life to the camp, I can argue that our central tenets mainly comprise 3 priorities: compassion, connection, and care. That somewhere along the way, not just kids but even adults, living through a horribly long and terribly depressing year, had lost touch with these three foundational practices. I am so delighted to share that as this program comes to an end, as we plan on embarking on our next journey, as we buckle up for our subsequent adventure, we have been able to reignite these core priorities. Compassion, Connection, and Care have defined my time at the Summer Meals Program and in teaching, exhibiting, and practicing them to be a role model for the kids. I genuinely have become a better person. This program has tremendous potential to contribute to anyone’s learning about Grassroots Organizing- it certainly has been a trailblazer of organizing for me.