Building sisterhood at the 29th St. Community Center

A sense of sisterhood is something that Sabrina Bond continually tries to instill in the elementary and middle school-aged girls who participate in her afterschool program, Finding the U From Within. Hosted every Thursday at the 29^th Street Community Center, the program provides a safe space for young girls to talk, share, discuss, and support one another. Bond, who is a longtime resident of Harwood, exudes the kind of warmth and acceptance that encourages this group to talk openly about life at home, life at school, and life in general. And, what is discussed inside the space always stays inside the space. “You are your sister’s keeper,” Sabrina reminds her participants.

Modeling, writing poetry, and producing theatrical sketches are among the many activities the group has taken part in over the past few months. During a unit on “praise poetry” last fall, each girl wrote a poem celebrating her uniqueness and presented it at the Community Center’s 1^st Annual Potluck of Thanks in front of more than 150 family members, neighbors, and elected officials.

“It was an amazing experience to see the effort they put into their poems, practicing diligently before their recital, and their sense of pride they felt after they recited their poems,” says Community Center Director, Hannah Gardi.

Finding the U From Within is free and takes place every Thursday from 2:45pm – 4pm. Contact Sabrina Bond at bondbond1968@yahoo.com or at 410-889-2911 if you know a girl who is interested in joining. Or, register online today!