We have all heard that actions speak louder than words. The real change happens when you have both. The words and actions of two women who are making a difference matter more than catchy slogans. Slogans are like neon signs. They grab our attention with a catchy glow and can distract us. But the signs themselves do nothing; they can be easily ignored or forgotten. Real impact comes from the actions of positive community involvement.
In the spirit of eschewing empty words and slogans, consider the following example of selfless and tangible action. I met Velma Bailey after she invited me to join her during a recent book club meeting at the St. Louis Public Library. Afterward, I had the pleasure of chatting with the infectiously positive Bailey. Eleven years ago, Bailey started an organization called St. Louis Torchbearers 2, after the tragic shooting death of a boy getting off his school bus in her north St. Louis neighborhood.
Bailey did not sit idly by after the tragedy. Rather, she stepped up to show the children in her neighborhood that there are people who care. Bailey and Torchbearers 2 started Camp Sun Splash, which takes place in Fairground Park. It began as a three-week summer day camp and is now up to nine weeks. Torchbearers 2 also provides homework assistance and a Super Saturday program. In the 10 years since Bailey started Camp Sun Splash, registrations are up to 90 children, with an average of 40 children participating each day.
“Campgoers are inner-city children, ages 4 to 18, who live in food deserts, suffer in ZIP codes with the highest incidences of the most violent crimes, and face serious transportation challenges when they try to gain access to resources outside their community,” Bailey said.
The camps provide children with breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks during the summer weeks when regular school meals are unavailable. Participants learn new skills in science, technology, engineering and math in what Bailey calls “a safe and supervised environment.” The idea is to give them opportunities that aren’t often available to kids living in north St. Louis.
Five years ago, Bailey attended a session at the Real Time Crime Center, a facility operated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, where she was briefed on the use of cameras and monitoring systems in communities. At the end of the meeting, then-Capt. Angela Coonce handed her a business card and urged Bailey to call if she had further questions. That’s just what Bailey did. Coonce, now a police major, has been active with Camp Sun Splash ever since.
Bailey says that no captain or public affairs officer had ever come to help the children before they met Coonce. “Now the children know officers by face and their acts of kindness.” Coonce, who is stationed in the police department’s North Patrol, has recruited other officers to help and mentor at Camp Sun Splash.
The day I visited Camp Sun Splash, the police department’s helicopter had just landed. Each child was given the opportunity to look inside and walk around it. On the grounds of the park, at least 10 other officers were playing, running and interacting with the children. They ate lunch together, courtesy of the St. Louis Police Foundation. The day before I visited, each child was given a backpack and school supplies. The St. Louis Police Foundation also donated 41 new bicycles and bike helmets. This wasn’t just an opportunity for police to deliver the bikes but also to review bicycle safety and teach children to ride.
“This is how we tackle racism. Right here, in this park,” Bailey said.
Bailey says campgoers “have a champion in Major Coonce and her brave officers who serve and protect.” She added: “Because of Major Coonce, our campers back the badge.”
The children who Bailey and Coonce are helping “want to learn, be loved, and make significant contributions to the world and simply not be murdered,” Bailey added.
I am not sure which moved me more: the women’s powerful actions or their equally powerful words. Perhaps it’s the combination. What America needs are fewer slogans, sound bites and polarizing propaganda. We need more individuals like Bailey and Coonce who are willing to step up and make positive change in our communities.
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