Unemployment, world hunger, homelessness are all issues that affect millions of people around the globe. Millions. Such problems are constantly dismissed in the minds of many, with excuses that there’s no way they can single handedly solve something as big as world hunger. But if everyone turns a blind eye and keeps waiting for actions to be taken by others, will we really be progressing?
Enloe Charity Ball’s efforts to support local nonprofits – who are working to tackle these big issues – defies what is expected of us, and is why I am so proud of being a part of it. Our student led organization not only disproves the assumptions of what high school students are capable of doing, but also exemplifies a group of students that aren’t afraid to take that small step in supporting the community around us.
All our individual efforts among the 80 of us on Enloe Student Council adds up, from every penny earned through the coin drive to the thousands given through corporate donations. The amount of work behind the scenes that goes on unnoticed by the public eye is astounding. The long hours I spent with Kyra painting banners or the extensive planning that goes on every Thursday in Barry’s room is each, in it’s own way, a small step in raising 200,000 dollars for our beneficiary, the Southeast Raleigh Promise (SERP).
This year, our beneficiary is a smaller organization than those in the past, but the work they are doing to end intergenerational poverty in the Southeast Raleigh area is just as important. Upon visiting SERP’s Beacon Site, we were given a tour by Dalia Place and she explained to us the meticulous details they thought of when building Southeast Raleigh Elementary, from the rooftop gardens that would teach students about healthy nutritional options to the outdoor pool that would provide swimming lessons to all grades. It was inspiring to listen to Dalia explain the big plans SERP was prepared to implement in the future to extend their reach throughout Southeast Raleigh, a small step in the direction of ending intergenerational poverty in North Carolina, and maybe eventually the United States.
Intergenerational poverty isn’t something that can be stopped overnight, but each donation made or initiative taken all builds up to ultimately create a strong impact. Because in the end, underneath it all, each small step matters.
Maddie Fan
Flex Officer
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