GRASSROOTS

Wake up at six. Go to school. Do homework. Go to sleep. This constant cycle of waking up, knowing that the upcoming day is about to be a struggle, leaves several high school students feeling discouraged and disconnected from their school. Although I know that this struggle is upon me every weekday when I wake up, I also know that I am waking up to serve a purpose. I am serving Enloe Charity Ball’s mission: to inspire student leaders and impact our communities through innovative, student-led solutions.

As we put all of our hearts and minds into impacting our community through Southeast Raleigh Promise, we begin to forget the little things, as Angela (our Student Body President) would call “the grassroots”. We forget that every single email, every single volunteer hour at Southeast Raleigh Elementary, and every single dollar from 2B wars is significant to our mission. All of these little things seem to go unnoticed, as everybody seems to have their eyes set on that ambitious $200,000 check presentation, but these grassroot efforts are what allow us to meet that achievement. Before this week, I had been forgetting these grassroots, as I had not volunteered a single hour at Southeast Raleigh Elementary School. Overwhelmed by schoolwork and soccer, I had forgotten the importance and priority of helping out the children of Southeast Raleigh Elementary School.

Deep in regret, I immediately signed up to give homework help to the 4th graders at Southeast Elementary. After this experience, a sense of awakening went through my mind – that the combination of our efforts and Southeast Raleigh Promise will be what shapes these children’s futures. I realized if that I engage and show support to a student, it may be the reason that they become less shy or timid. I realized that if I send one email and bring in $20 for Southeast Raleigh Promise, a student will have a healthy meal and adequate education. Every donation and volunteer hour serves a greater purpose than just a numerical value. It may be the difference between a student’s success and failure.

Grassroots are where it all starts, and grassroots are the reason for growth.

Kyle Lin
Executive Council Member 

DONATE now