We could not do what we do without our amazing volunteers! This is part of a series of blog posts to spotlight and celebrate the professionals from all over metro Detroit who give of their time and talents to help our students every single day. We are truly thankful for our volunteers and the spirit of community they bring to the Downtown Boxing Gym. Together, we are changing lives and helping make our students’ dreams come true.

Last fall, the Grosse Pointe Garden Club was hosting visitors from local nonprofits as it weighed which one to support for the coming year. The Downtown Boxing Gym was one of the contenders, and the garden club eventually chose us as their sponsored charity.

That filtered down to Jack Glover, whose mother, Sue, is a member of the garden club. So Jack, 19, paid a visit to the boxing gym, liked what he saw, and signed up to be a volunteer.

“I’m big into fitness so that drew me in a bit,” says Glover, who counts weight training, cycling and running among his favorite activities. “I checked it out the program and decided it was a good place to spend some of my time during the week.”

Glover is currently in his second year as an undergraduate at Wayne State University where he’s pursuing a degree in marketing and a certificate in entrepreneurship. When he’s not in class, he’s a partner in a startup business called Coffeehaus, which he describes as a local roaster, curator and business consultancy to coffee shops that has also operated at least one pop-up coffee bar.

“We have some plans in the works, but right now we do not have a brick and mortar coffee shop open,” he says.

Glover is a 2017 graduate of University of Detroit Jesuit High School. He credits the school with instilling in him a desire to give back. He started volunteering at DBG in October 2018.

Glover says he mostly helps out with tutoring, assisting students with their after-school homework and projects. He also leans on his ability to speak Spanish — he took an immersion trip in high school to Ecuador, has cousins who live in Mexico and continues to work with a tutor to keep his skills sharp — to help students with their Spanish homework.

“I love being a volunteer,” Glover says. “You can just tell once you’re here what a great environment it is. Khali has done a great job fostering a safe environment there where kids know they can come to do their homework, make friendships, and do some training.”

The Downtown Boxing Gym depends on committed volunteers like Jack to fulfill our mission. In addition to weekly tutoring and mentoring, we offer opportunities to volunteer during one-time events, and help with building and grounds maintenance and administrative duties. Or tell us how you think you can help! Check out our volunteering page for more information.

“I would say absolutely come check it out and talk to some of the other volunteers to see what it’s like,” Glover says. “Over time, you can develop a relationship with these kids and see the community that they’ve built. But by all means, absolutely take the time out to help make a positive impact.”