This month I still found myself lost and asking questions. This time I had to decide whether or not my time at the Village Cultural Arts Center had been worthwhile. On a usual day at the center, I would assist the children with their homework and art projects. Recently however, the children started participating in various activities dealing with the Kwanzaa holiday coming up, which was wonderful but limited my time with the students. Tutoring sessions were cut short, and art classes were cancelled.
All of a sudden I felt like I wasn’t being useful. I was told by the director of the program that the Kwanzaa classes would be over soon, and things would be back to normal, but I guess I wanted to feel needed every second that I was there. I can honestly say that the only thing that kept me at the center was a little girl by the name of Ellanria. (I mentioned her in my last paper. She was the girl who asked me to be her “fake” Auntie) While she was eating her snack one day, I asked her why she wanted me to be her fake Auntie. She told me that her real Aunt (that was living with them) died when their house burned down.
She was unable to be rescued from the house and burned to death. She also told me how her and her mom had to struggle so much after losing all of their clothes, money and personal items. She simply said that she loved her auntie, and that she wanted me to be her “fake Auntie because she loved me too. By her saying that, it hit me.
School Time Wanted Home
The day was coming, my feelings were getting nervous, scared, more like terrified. Mixed feelings were coming alive in me when I thought about going to school also how I felt about experiencing a new and different life. At the age of twelve my life was shifted. First day of school came walking onto the campus it was a whole different feeling than what I was used to. New and different faces turned ...
The Village isn’t about making Natalie feel useful. The Village is all about the children. It made me realize that I have to learn to be patient and understand that the children need me… Ellandria needs me. In my famous hometown of New Orleans a little event took place to support Habitat for Humanity. In my little town we had an event called the “Taste of New Orleans.” This event brought hundreds of different food items to our county for people to taste.
Tickets were $15 and all of the proceeds went to Habitat for Humantiy. For this fundraiser, I served as the entertainment. I really enjoyed participating in the event because it was a way for me to use my instrument to serve others.
