Gloria Fernández Tearte boarded the Greyhound bus from New York City heading from Brooklyn, NY to Appleton, Wisconsin, a town that the 16-year-old had never heard of until now.
The only thing she could think as she stood in a vast field lined with a view of trees for miles and no traffic lights in sight was that she wasn’t going to get back on that bus again. That, and that yes, a tree does grow in Brooklyn, but not in the neighborhood she came from. She was now to make a home where the sights, sounds, food, people, way of life, all of it, was a sudden shock from the life she’d known.
Gloria was one of the first children to be part of the A Better Chance (ABC) program and that bus ride was the beginning of a journey that, decades later, brought her to Westport to sit on the Board of Directors for ABC Westport. Now a social worker, she is an integral member of a group of board members, host families, resident staff, Staples staff, volunteers, and donors that make this program possible.
ABC Westport provides educational opportunities to academically gifted and high-motivated young men of color.
“We currently have six boys that live at the Glendarcy House and have room and resources for up to eight,” says Jen Gold, the organization's president. “We go through an extensive matching process before the scholars arrive in Westport.”
As the program celebrates its 20th anniversary, those involved with ABC Westport are having important conversations that didn’t exist a few years ago. They are pushing themselves and others to look through a new lens at how scholars are welcomed into the larger community.
“We ask ourselves questions like: Are the scholars being treated like visitors or like they are part of the community? Are we a partnership with the scholars’ families? How do we help scholars from vastly different backgrounds feel like they are at home? Are their needs being met?” says Sonya Harris- Jagenberg, ABC Westport’s DEI Coordinator Co-Chair.
By asking the hard questions, ABC Westport is creating an even greater sense of belonging for the scholars.
For instance, a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee ensures equity and inclusion are at the center of the program, and a mentors group, bonding and establishing community connections for the scholars, and more, are just a few of the ways DEI initiatives are expanding the program. A new chef at the house cooks with a passion for food and nutrition as well as satisfying the variety of tastes based on the scholars’ heritage. Monthly dinners are held with a variety of community members.
Lorenzo Colón Munroe, LSW, joined the team as the house’s social worker. He brings 35 years of experience in child and adolescent mental health services, and as a man of color, he understands the boys’ experiences. As does Westport Police Officer Dominique Carr who meets with them periodically as well.
For ABC Westport, building a sense of belonging includes our whole community, strengthening partnerships with local mainstays like the Westport Country Playhouse, Westport Library and more.
“We want the house to be a home. Not just a place you are passing through,” says Sonya. “What we are trying to do is connect. To let all the scholars know that they belong.”
Notably, when artist Charles Joyner recently presented at the library he set aside time to have private meetings with the scholars. In 1964, Charles left his home in North Carolina for Westport to live with a host family and attend Staples High School. He became the first black student to attend Staples. His time with the scholars represented an incredible connection that spanned decades in the making.
“Parents are sharing with us what is most valuable and precious to them, their child,” says Gloria. “It’s our job to recognize this sacrifice, and that these scholars and their families have earned and deserve every single penny raised for them. This isn’t just about offering them this experience. It impacts their lives forever.”
These teens are studying for exams, writing articles for the school newspaper, learning the rules of Badminton, playing on the Staples football team, racing as a Wrecker, participating in the town youth baseball league, and writing code, among other activities.
All of this work that is being done at, with, and around ABC Westport is a beautiful reminder that we all belong to each other. This belief core of how ABC Westport is propelling forward for the next 20 years.
If you are interested in becoming more involved with ABC Westport please consider donating, volunteering or reaching out to learn more at ABetterChanceofWestport.org.
ABC Westport is 100% supported by financial contributions from the Westport Community.