A Letter to Street Library Children

Dear Street Library children,I have been a member of your community for two and a half years now. Years during which I have learned to be present here and walk with you, years during which I have discovered the world you’re growing up in, your reality, the challenges and difficulties you face, and also the supportive community you have around you.Every day I walk the streets of your neighborhood. I talk to your neighbors, I try to understand what it means to grow up here, what it means to live here, what your aspirations and dreams are, and how to support you and your community in reaching them.Two and a half years, that doesn’t feel like a whole lot of time, but I’ve seen a lot of changes in the neighborhood, your neighborhood. I have seen houses being renovated, I still do. I’m surprised how many houses have been renovated actually. At first it was great to see abandoned houses being taken care of, and in some ways it still is. Some parts of the streets are more colorful, more vibrant now. It worries me though, and I wonder how it feels for you. I see new faces. I’ve noticed that some houses are no longer homes for long-term residents, but are used as Airbnb short-term rentals for tourists who are attracted by the closeness to the French Quarter. Airbnbs often put long-term residents and tourists in competition in a way that raises up the rent for the residents. I have seen families moving away. There are less children playing outside. It must be difficult for you to see some of your friends moving away because their families had to find more affordable rents.Two and a half years ago, the neighborhood was known for violence, shootings, and murders. Last week Mr. Joe warned me not to walk on certain streets of the neighborhood: “It’s wild there, you never know what can happen.” There have been times at night, and sometimes during the day, when I’ve heard gunshots. Until I moved here the only gunshots I had ever heard were on TV. I didn’t grow up in this reality and it’s hard for me to even understand what it means. Mr. Levi described to me one day how his kids jump on the ground when they hear gunshots on TV.People have died because of guns in the community. Quite a few. And despite the changes in the neighborhood, there is still violence. I understand better now why some of you are afraid to join us at the Street Library. I can see how difficult that internal battle must be between the fear that something might happen and the desire to join us on the sidewalk for the weekly activities you cherish so much.Just a few month ago, there was a murder around the corner from where we were doing our Saturday Street Library, right in front of the house where four children from the Street Library and their parents were living. For me that painful event really changed the face of that part of the neighborhood. The family made the difficult decision to move out of the neighborhood, leaving friends, leaving their community, leaving the reality where the kids had been growing up. We were able to see how committed the dad was to support his children and his efforts to make their lives better! Not only did he and his wife move to make sure they’d be safe, but they also decided to keep the kids in the same school. They could stay in touch with their friends and slowly get used to their new neighborhood, their new “home”, even if that meant driving half an hour in the morning and afternoon to make that transition. Over the last two and a half years, I have seen other families leaving the neighborhood because of the violence too. Children and parents who loved the Street Library went away. Not because they wanted to, but because the parents feared so much for their children’s safety that they had to make that difficult decision.But. After two and a half years, I have seen you developing a real love for books, a desire to discover the world, a desire to explore and express your creativity. Your capacity to be with your friends and to welcome new friends. I remember how you welcomed Sean after he moved to the neighborhood with his family. You met for the first time at the Street Library, shaking hands like grown-ups and taking turns introducing yourselves. I remember the sparkle in your eyes, the smiles on your faces during and after some of our activities: making kites, planting seeds, and making giant bubbles!Those moments are very precious to me and from the way you talk about past activities, I think these moments are invaluable for you too. We always try to come up with activities that will catch your interest and challenge you. Very often activities test your patience at first, and sometimes frustration builds up and eventually there are sometimes tears. Then we sit together and step by step, we find ways to refocus on the activity and go through it together.It doesn’t always work this way and sometimes you go home frustrated. The following week we think about you as we try to figure out how we can do things differently to make sure you succeed and have a wonderful time with us. Of course there are times when you give us Street Library facilitators a hard time because your day hasn’t been easy, because you had to face some challenges. It’s good to know you trust us enough to express them.The more I know about your life, the more I can see how difficult behaviors express suffering deep inside. It’s true for you and it’s true for all of us. I hope that the time you spend at the Street Library nourishes peace in you and brings you relief when you do suffer. I hope it helps you to see the beauty of the world, of your neighborhood, the aspirations and hopes of the community for your future, and that it helps you overcome the challenges in your path. I hope it helps you dream, for you and for the world. I hope it helps you believe in your dream, so much that one day you’ll make it a reality.I am grateful for all the beautiful moments, the smiles, the tears, and the steps we’re taking together in making the world a better place.Sincerely,Mr. Greg