*The blue circle on Map 1 represents Summerour Middle School, the red pins are the location of our resources.*

The community that surrounds Summerour Middle School is one of many layers. The community is so widespread that there is access to many resources no matter where you are. I want to put a spotlight on a few resources in my community, Norcross First Global Methodist Church, Four Corners Primary Care Centers, Helping Mamas, Street Grace, and the Gwinnett Public Library. Each resource has some type of benefit to each student in the school whether they use it or not. For instance Norcross First Global church.

Norcross First Global has been a partner with Summerour for many years. If we need to evacuate the school for whatever reason, they allow us to use their fellowship hall to house the students in the event of an emergency. They cater food for the staff from time to time as well as host after-school care/tutoring for our students. Along with making sure our students are safe, we want to make sure our students are healthy. Four Corners Primary Care Centers are facilities that offer quality, affordable, and accessible family health needs. The best part of this resource is that it is available for all ages, from infants to seniors. The next resource is one I hold near and dear to my heart because I volunteer there most weekends.

Helping Mamas is an organization that provides necessities to women. These necessities vary from baby clothes to feminine hygiene products. What I adore about Helping Mamas is that they offer a delivery service that brings those essentials to you if you are unable to get them yourself. I appreciate organizations that are here to support women and children which leads me to my next resource. Street Grace is an organization that finds new ways to prevent and disrupt the exploitation of children. 

Lastly, I wanted to shine a spotlight on the Gwinnett County Public Library. I believe this is the most underrated resource in our community. The library is not only filled with books of all genres and styles but it is also filled with quiet rooms and technology. The library was my best friend when I was in the process of moving and needed access to the Internet. With today’s world becoming more and more technology-based it’s refreshing to be able to come to a quiet place and pick up a book. Being a 6th-grade language and literature teacher, I encourage all my students to use the library or the school media center frequently. I encourage them to replace 30 minutes of social media with 30 minutes of reading.