SPIRITUALITY, FAIR TRADE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
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13	November 2013

Packard, Building on Faith by Ryan Ennis

Text #1
"First, there is a focus on relationships and community. There is an emphasis on building relationships and partnerships and accruing a deep understanding of the surrounding community."

Response #1
This is a crucial element of providing community service. Often times there can be a disconnect between community service programs and the community. that's not to say they still aren't beneficial, it's just that programs are best when they have a pulse on what is going on in the community and what specific issues need to be addressed. The best way to do this is by relationship building. Building relationships with community leaders like religious heads, political figures, and store owners along with the citizens can help an organization become an incredible support system as well as a community builder. Building these relationships takes patience and serious effort. It is important gain the trust and respect of these leaders so that the organization can have a lasting impact as well as the ability to bring change that is supported by the community. Trinity seems to have a firm grasp of this concept which is allowing them to bring change to their community.

Text #2
"College entrance and completion statistics describe a generation of young men with very little chance of social mobility. An African-American boy in the ninth grade in the Boston schools has a 7 percent chance of graduating from college."

Response #2
The demographics of college students is unacceptably unequal compared to the demographics of our country. The government has failed to provide an educational system that gives everyone a fair chance. Public School endowments are based off of the town you live in's tax profit. therefore poor communities have less money to use and therefore worse teachers and resources. The government has attempted to help these communities out but there is still a staggering difference between upper class public schools and lower class public schools. Kids that are born in these lower class communities have to achieve at a higher rate and fight against a current of inequality. The kids in the upper class towns have the unequal privilege of a paveway to college. they have to actively screw up in order to not be able to attend college, whereas the lower class towned kids have to excel at a high margin above their classmates. This unequal system causes America to have an educational standstill where the upper class families stay rich and educated, while lower class families are poor and under-educated. This is unacceptable and needs to be changed.