Pocket Town

Marissa Smith

The first week of SSP was very informative. On the first day I was able to understand the mission of the program: to go out into the neighborhood and make change for the better, help the neighborhood become more sustainable then what it is. The rest of the week was really for my group and I to get a better understanding of Greater Grand Crossing A.K.A Pocket Town. Greater Grand Crossing is know as Pocket Town because in a certain area there is only one way in and one way out which resembles a pocket.

Yes! that does seem a little bit boring but it wasn't. On Wednesday we all went to the farmers market, and even though I thought it was going to be boring it was actually pretty fun. We were able to talk to a gardener and learn what she grows. What was very interesting to me was that I didn't know many people never tasted or heard of mustard greens. I was able to get a better feel of what is really new to people. 

On Thursday, my group took a tour with Sam of the Pocket to get a better feel of the neighborhood. Sam is like the mayor of Pocket Town, everyone comes to him for help and he always finds a way to get it done. He is the communities voice. Even though I am over here for the school year, I never knew the stories behind the neighborhood. As we were walking around, we were able to talk to many of the residents of the neighborhood. As we talked to them I was able to understand the bitter-sweet relationship between Gary Comer and the community. It’s sweet because many people believed it gave many kids and opportunity to become more active. Its bitter, because many people believe that the mission of the Youth Center has changed. At first the center was built for the community and accepted many people, but now the center is money hungry. They are money  hungry because the summer camp should have a  reasonable rice ($55) since many of the families don't have a lot of money. Instead they have have ridiculous prices that many people cannot pay ($220). 

The community feels as if Gary Comer is taking over and lost  the reason why the center  is founded. If I can figure out a way to bridge the gap between  the Center and the community, that would be my project for the summer. I want the communities voice to be heard, and to create a sustainable relationship between the two.