Ideas and Activism

Imagine it: An organization that houses the homeless, puts them through a job-training course and finds them work. Or, in another universe, an organization geared towards helping kids find their passion - something to keep them away from alcohol and drugs and other things that they often do in fits of boredom or when they reach low points. These are my dreams; my causes that I am passionate about. And I have many others, but I feel like my organization could contribute much to these particular issues.

I haven't named it, yet. I'm working on that part. And I haven't come up with a clear-cut idea of what i want and how I want to accomplish it. But I do have a few major goals that I want to choose from when I begin honestly planning to start my nonprofit.

A) A house for the homeless. Obviously, this wouldn't be able to be a huge shelter. However, I would like to take in homeless people, give them the necessities and meanwhile put them through job-training courses. If they can't read/write well, then they will go through basic classes for those skills. They will learn how to use Microsoft Office, and eventually my organization would help them to find a secure job. We would give them just enough of a push to get them back on their feet and hopefully they would eventually be able to create a better life filled with prosperity. This idea is very close to my heart, as I have run into many homeless people on my travels, who all seemed eager to get off their feet and work for a living - despite many people who think they are "freeloaders" and they earned their place in the dirt.

B) An organization focused on children. Giving them opportunities they may not have otherwise. Allowing them to try a variety of different things, exposing them to many different subjects, and essentially finding their passion. I pride myself on the fact that I have happily avoided drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and general misbehavior my entire life. I attribute the majority of this lifestyle to good parenting and to having a muse - something to fall back on when I was down. Something that kept me engaged and that I enjoyed much more than potentially throwing away my future. My passion is music. For other kids, it may be art, fencing, dancing, ANYTHING. And this organization would hopefully keep kids engaged in activities like those, and away from the desire to make poor choices. An even greater idea is to connect these kids with opportunities to volunteer - something that really changed my life and my perspective of the world. Why would I go to a party and get drunk and show up at my house in handcuffs when I can go tutor a kid after class and spend my weekends doing something that makes my mom proud, and makes me feel good? I want to offer this perspective to kids who may not otherwise get a glimpse of it. I want to show them that there are great things beyond the walls of their tiny communities and that they have all the potential in the world to get to these things if they want it enough.

These ideas are simply seeds right now. I'm only a high-school junior, and I have a lot of college and career to go through before I begin planning to found a nonprofit organization. However, I do intend to do this one day, and hopefully make a difference in the world. My work for the Youth Service Fund inspired these goals, and even if I can't accomplish them, maybe someone who reads this CAN.

Much love,
Erica Kriner