Meet Mustafa, MADNESS Update and PRIZES
Check our MADNESS on a MISSION Bracket rankings! Click here for the full standings.
The Final 4 is set! Gonzaga, UCLA, Baylor and Houston are still alive and so are a few of our brackets. Although Zach Nolt is still leading, there are 3 other potential winners and many chances left for the runner-up! Check out our bracket standings to see where you rank.
Keep reading to find out if you are one of our lucky random drawing winners!
Meet Mustafa
This week, we want to introduce you to another neighborhood teen that has been a huge part of our work throughout the pandemic and has benefited from our Youth Work Experience programs.
Mustafa is a 15 year old young man who lives just around the corner from our Lewiston site. He is in 9th grade and plays JV and Freshman soccer at Lewiston High School - a powerhouse in Maine High School soccer. He is 1 of 8 children in his family and they have been our neighbors for a long time. Born in Lewiston, Mustafa can remember being part of Root Cellar neighborhood BBQ’s in the park when he was a child.
This past year, Mustafa became one of our tutors in the Safe Learning Hub, which serves over 40 elementary children each week and helping to ensure that when schools reopen, these students are ready. He says that he loves having fun with them and joking. “I like helping the kids get work done and learn new things,” says Mustafa.
I asked if him to give me a few pointers on working with kids. Mustafa responded by dropping some sage wisdom on me. “Sometimes they don’t like to listen. Don’t be too hard on the kids, they have personal problems. I’ve learned to be - like - in their shoes.” Empathy is an incredibly skill - and I think he could teach me a thing or two..
Financial Literacy is a core part of our Teen Work Experiences, and it seems like the course ha left a real world impact on Mustafa. He is hoping to get his drivers permit soon, in just a few weeks. In Maine, Drivers Ed courses can be expensive and can be significant hurdle for our neighbors. “I saved up from working this job to pay for Driver’s Ed,” he says proudly.
He has more goals, but there is something unique about these goals. They are centered on helping others. “I remember when I was a kid, I saw a big fire on Bartlett St., right here on the corner.” Mustafa recounted a fire just one block away from our location in 2015, displacing a few dozen residents. “I felt bad for the people who lost everything. I want to be a fire inspector, and help people take care of their homes.”
We had a goal of raising $7500 through MADNESS on a MISSION to create opportunities for neighborhood teens in Lewiston and Portland - teens just like Mustafa. These opportunities have ripple effects in our neighborhoods - stronger communities, new skills, goals, supports and an opportunity to learn what God is doing in our community and how each of us can be part of His plan to renew our cities through the love of Jesus.
This isn’t your normal Bracket Challenge - your picks have mattered. Your generosity and prayer is transforming a neighborhood, one teen at a time. Thank you for joining us!
RANDOM DRAWING WINNERS
RC Sweatshirt - Nate Minnich of Lititz, PA
RC Love Your Neighbor T-Shirt - Senyo Ohene of Lewiston
$25 Gift Card to Boba - Jason Lavoie of Lewiston
Congrats! Tune in next week and find out if your name was drawn and the announcement of our 2021 MADNESS on a Mission Bracket Challenge winner!
THERE IS STILL TIME TO GIVE!
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