Robbie has newfound kindness

Thank you all for supporting GRuB as they work to inspire personal and community change in Mason and Thurston Counties of Washington State. Your contributions provided Robbie with a week of drop-out prevention. Here is his story:

Hi, my name is Robbie. I’m 17 years old and I go to GRuB School. I’ve been in GRuB since last summer and I will verify with complete honesty that it was the best summer of my life. If I had to pick one moment that changed my outlook on life it would have to be my work with the volunteers.

Every Wednesday, or as we often called it, “Crazy Wednesday,” people from the community would come to our farm and work with us. One day it was considered hot by Washington folk, a blazing 75 degrees. We had a bed we were weeding, so of course my first time working with the volunteers it had to be right by our resident bee hive. Apparently one of the volunteers got too close to the hive and the bees became aggressive. At the time, I was only paying attention to filling up my bucket full of weeds. I looked up to the horrific sight of a volunteer frantically flailing her arms about. Since this was my first time with volunteers, I really had never seen this before. I didn’t know what to think. I asked her, “what’s wrong? Did you eat some rotten raspberries?” She screamed: “There’s something in my hair — get it out get it out!” I had never been stung before, so I was a little hesitant, but I couldn’t let her get stung, so I flicked it out. The bee immediately came after me so I smacked it out of the air. Following this event, a swarm attacked our team, but we managed to make it out unscathed.

The woman I saved  was extremely grateful that day. I didn’t just save someone from getting stung, I took on leadership and compassion. Since working at GRuB, I use those strengths every day and it’s helped me become an outgoing, extroverted farm boy that cares for others and pays attention to feelings. I feel these attributes would have gone unnoticed if it wasn’t for that day, the work we do with diverse volunteers, and the knowledge GRuB has given me. Her being in danger brought out the kindness in me.

From everyone at GRuB, thank you Anne, Trevor, Heather, Bethany and Maxim for helping to bring out the kindness in Robbie!