Northern Light Community Center

Student Interns:

Julianna Kinsolving, Brad Linso, Lavanya Logan

Julianna Kinsolving: "Sanctuary"

“The innocence of children is their wisdom, the simplicity of children is their egolessness.

The freshness of the child is the freshness of your consciousness, which never becomes old, which always remains young”

- Rajneesh

For the children of Northern Light Community Center, this space is their sanctuary, their escape, their rescue. They have endured so much more than any child should ever have to. Substance abuse, domestic violence, orphanage are only some of the issues that these little ones have to experience every day. For at least a few hours a day, they can come here to get away from it all, and feel the pure joy and happiness that they deserve to feel. I chose this photo because the stairs and gate represent the entrance and security into a safe place where the kids can be sheltered and protected from the scary world that they live in. The staff member who I interviewed wants everyone to know this: children are good and loving people. No matter how overwhelming children can seem, they just need someone who cares to be that role model and support system for them. We have to tap into our inner child to remember what we needed when we were children and incorporate their joy into our own lives.

Brad Linso

Voice memo transcription:

What do you want people who don’t know about your community to learn about it?

“Maybe just to know the people individually. Get to know the people and what they’re going through. So, you’re not looking at them through the outside, but the inside ya know”.

What’s great about your community?

“All the different people and the diversity”

Will you share your favorite memory at this community?

“Last year, everyone came together, and we had a huge water fight. It was really fun”

What are some of the strengths of the community?

“Everyone here looks out for each other”

How have the recent events impacted the community?

“I don’t know if anything super recent has had a large impact, but COVID was hard. It can be hard to get the kids to wear their masks sometimes”

Lavanya Logan

For my Storytelling Project I interviewed a staff member I worked with at North Light Community Center (NLCC), Mrs. E. She has been working at NLCC for a little over two years, and currently works with the children’s program. As Mrs. E states, the center offers a lot, so it was hard for me to choose/draw one image to represent everything. Instead I chose to make a pseudo-collage to share the different aspects of NLCC I was lucky enough to observe and be a part of. Throughout my time here I have observed, participated in, and lead lessons on health education, literacy, yoga/meditation, and exercise. The summer camp not only provides a place for the kids to spend their time, but also gives them an opportunity to broaden their experiences and learning. Though the pandemic placed restrictions on NLCC, it continues to provide a safe haven for its community members.