For nearly 20 years A Better Chance of Westport (ABC ) has provided educational opportunities at Staples High School to academically gifted, highly motived young men of color.
This fall, ABC welcomes 2 new scholars to Glendarcy House on North Avenue. They’ll start their 4-year journey in Westport. But to do it, they need host families. They’re the Westporters who provide “homes away from home” on weekends for the youngsters (Sundays and one full weekend per month). It’s an important role — and a hugely gratifying one.
The ABC Scholars participate in outings or various pastimes in which the host families may be involved, including the many fairs and events Westport has to offer. As a result, the Scholars get to have a social experience beyond Staples and the Glendarcy House.
For Westport families, hosting or co-hosting on alternative weekends, is a chance to be involved with and learn from young people from different backgrounds. It is also an opportunity to increase our town’s diversity, not just with numbers but with a greater understanding of what it means to be a person of color. Each scholar’s impact on the host family is as strong as the family’s impact on the scholar.