Baldwin Center

For me, our trip to Baldwin Center was an eye-opening experience.

I was decidedly unenthused about it at first, as I'm in a tumulus chapter of my own life. That day was the last day I was going to see my brother for the next few months, as my stepdad finally found a job and was in the process of moving to Kentucky. Part of me wanted to say screw it all and just skip to be with them, but at the same time I knew I shouldn't miss any more class. This felt important in more ways than one, and I'm glad I didn't deny myself the experience.

It was more chaotic than I expected it to be, but somehow it was a comfortable sort of chaos. The statistics startled me as well, in both good ways and bad. It was inspiring to hear how many volunteers the Baldwin Center sees, and how rich the history behind the organization is. On the other hand, I live in Pontiac and I had no idea so many of its residents were in such dire straits. I also found it a little troubling how limited the Center's funding is, as the clothing closet looked to be in great need of renovations.

Though we didn't do much, the time we spent there went by quickly and it was fun for me. I felt a sense of camaraderie, of a shared goal as we organized the donated clothing together and joked amongst ourselves. If given the chance, I think I would like to do it again.