How Showing up in hard places is changing lives
By Erik Sampson
““There are awards, and there are rewards. An award is something others give you because you did something meaningful to them. A reward is something you get to receive because it’s meaningful to you. Seeing the change in these young guys is a huge reward for me!” ”
At 100 North 14th Streat on Thursday nights, tucked just under North Blvd, is a local gym that hosts Providence Road youth for a myriad of activities, including a weekly boxing lesson.
“When they first came here over a year ago, they were always getting into it with each other, fighting at the drop of a hat.” says Coach Dave, Boxing Coach with the BREC recreation program.
Humans don’t mind hardship, in fact, they thrive on it; what they mind is not feeling necessary. Modern society has perfected the art of making people not feel necessary. It's time for that to end.
-Sebastian Junger
Coach Dave has been a witness to the work of Providence Road over the past year and represents the power of being part of the struggle.
“I am these kids. I lived their story.”
The biggest difference between Coach Dave’s story and the stories played out in the lives of these youth is that for the first time in a long while, these youth have a collective of individuals gathered around them. A team of volunteers, staff, and donors committed to seeing them succeed.
But the beauty of this story is that impact is felt on both sides. Providence Road starts with us, with the journey we all take to discover a place of belonging, understanding, and affirmation. It’s the path of restoration we seek when the wheels fall off and life gets hard.
We might be showing up for these youth, and at times it feels like an uphill battle. The reality, however, is that the battle we actually face in showing up each week is a challenge to our faith.
We have to battle the statements that rise up inside us from our own loss of hope. “I’ve seen this story before and it doesn’t end well”, “What difference can I actually make?”, “Surely, these youth need more than someone showing up once a week.”
We tend to disqualify ourselves before we even get to the hill…
I have seen this in my own journey with Providence Road. Showing up, feeling overwhelmed, and not being sure that any good can come from it. But after a year, I can say with confidence that these young men’s lives have changed.
I came to a boxing session a year ago, when Providence Road had just started the weekly program. What I saw was a coach who had little hope for these youth and youth who just wanted to fight with each other.
A year later, there is a camaraderie that crosses over from coach to student, and vice versa.
“I only contribute a few times per week, but when these guys come up and gather around me in the ring, talking calmly and using their words. That’s a huge deal and a big difference from a year ago.” says Coach Dave.
This is a bi-product of joining the struggle. We may start out thinking it’s about serving youth, but the reflection of growth in our own lives continues to demonstrate that Providence Road is much more than adults showing youth how to live. It’s about discovering the power of community and what happens to our hearts when we are willing to show up and struggle with each other.
“We must give more in order to get more. It is the generous giving of ourselves that produces the generous harvest.”
It’s generally accepted that with hard work comes great benefits. The challenge is seeing them in the midst of chaos or moments of intense exhaustion. In those moments, having someone who is in the fight with us can make all the difference. Being able to look to the right or left and say, “I’m not alone”, can break the barrier of disbelief in ways that no incentive or motivational speech ever will. It can inspire hope in the most challenging situations.
Who knows what comes from here, but I can say from a distance, that lives have already been changed for the better and that is something no one can put a price tag on.
