When most people think about Urban Vision, they think of our diverse afterschool programs. With individualized schedules and a wide range of electives to care for each student’s heart, mind, and body, there is good reason why our name is synonymous with afterschool. But if you look under the surface, you will find there is much more to our North Hill ministry than just our afterschool programs.
At Urban Vision, we often emphasize the importance of community engagement to both our staff and volunteers. We understand that in order to truly heal our neighborhood, we need to look at the families that comprise it with a wholistic lens. With this in mind, some of our staff members have begun to use our facility to offer activities like group workouts and organized sports to the wider community of North Hill, Akron. Through these events, our team has been able to build relationships with the people of our neighborhood who they wouldn’t normally interact with at one of our afterschool programs. These events have not only been a lot of fun for everyone who participates in them but have also been a great spot for new relationships to grow and blossom. As the members of our community show up at our front door, we are able to participate in their stories of redemption and walk alongside them as they seek to grow, and these newest members of the Urban Vision Family have really been appreciating it. In fact, last week one of these community members showed up to one of our events and told our staff a story that warmed their hearts.
As a recent refugee, this individual really appreciated all the community and encouragement he had found at Urban Vision. It had made such an impact on him that when he was talking to a friend of his in a different city who was struggling with some difficult things he said,
“You should find your city’s local Urban Vision. That’s where I go for help!”
It was to the dismay of our team that they had to explain that there is only one Urban Vision. But what an encouraging conversation! Stories like this serve as a reminder about why it is so important to encourage one another and build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11) and to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31).
