Social Class and Caroline House
Caroline O’Kane
Social class is often judged upon by the following criteria; money, possessions, and ranking. In our society today, so much of our life is focused on social ranking. There are those who actively try to climb the social ladder while there are others simply who seem to be at the highest status. In Westport, it seems that most people are privileged in some way. I’ve grown up being on the soccer team, traveling on vacations to Arizona, the Caribbean, and London, never giving much thought to social class. These activities and gifts are just part of my life. However, over the last few years, I have come to realize that there are people who do not have these privileges. That is when I began noticing different social classes.
I am part of the National Charity League, a Mother / Daughter organization formed to do charity work throughout Fairfield County to benefit others who don’t have as much as we do. We make dinner for the Gillespie Center, babysit at Bacharach Houses, homes owned by the town to help educate women with children, and so much more. However, out of all the philanthropies that I have been a part of throughout the years, the most influential experience for me has been tutoring children at the Caroline House in Bridgeport.
After traveling a mere 7 exits on I-95 from Westport, one finds Bridgeport, Connecticut, a town so vastly different from Westport yet so close. Houses are packed elbow to elbow, each only spanning one room wide. There are no bright colors painting the houses, if there is any paint at all.
A few blocks off the highway is a “home” called the Caroline House. Children and adults come daily to learn, play, and have a safe haven. With the National Charity League we are given the opportunity to help teach elementary and middle school students. Over the summer I chose to tutor at the Caroline House. Seeing the kids show up at 9 o’clock each and every day ready to learn made me very proud to see young students with such a
Social class is often judged upon by the following criteria; money, possessions, and ranking. In our society today, so much of our life is focused on social ranking. There are those who actively try to climb the social ladder while there are others simply who seem to be at the highest status. In Westport, it seems that most people are privileged in some way. I’ve grown up being on the soccer team, traveling on vacations to Arizona, the Caribbean, and London, never giving much thought to social class. These activities and gifts are just part of my life. However, over the last few years, I have come to realize that there are people who do not have these privileges. That is when I began noticing different social classes.
I am part of the National Charity League, a Mother / Daughter organization formed to do charity work throughout Fairfield County to benefit others who don’t have as much as we do. We make dinner for the Gillespie Center, babysit at Bacharach Houses, homes owned by the town to help educate women with children, and so much more. However, out of all the philanthropies that I have been a part of throughout the years, the most influential experience for me has been tutoring children at the Caroline House in Bridgeport.
After traveling a mere 7 exits on I-95 from Westport, one finds Bridgeport, Connecticut, a town so vastly different from Westport yet so close. Houses are packed elbow to elbow, each only spanning one room wide. There are no bright colors painting the houses, if there is any paint at all.
A few blocks off the highway is a “home” called the Caroline House. Children and adults come daily to learn, play, and have a safe haven. With the National Charity League we are given the opportunity to help teach elementary and middle school students. Over the summer I chose to tutor at the Caroline House. Seeing the kids show up at 9 o’clock each and every day ready to learn made me very proud to see young students with such a