A full-circle “Community of Love” story shows how one young adult is investing back into the next generation of community protectors

ROSELLE, N.J. — Boxwood Learning Center is celebrating a full-circle moment as one of its alumni, Sharod Harvey, returned this week to serve as an AmeriCorps member and mentor to local youth.

When Boxwood Learning Center became a nonprofit in 2019, the vision was clear: to become a place where young people would not be turned away simply because a grant ended, a program closed, or a funding cycle changed. The organization’s mission is rooted in long-term support for youth and young adults up to age 25, recognizing that growth, healing, and purpose often unfold over time.

Harvey first came to Boxwood after leaving juvenile residential care. He later returned to Boxwood, enrolled in the GED program, passed his exams, earned his high school diploma, and went on to Lincoln Tech to study electrical. Now, he has returned again – this time to invest his time, experience, and presence into local youth through AmeriCorps service.

The moment became even more meaningful when Harvey was introduced to one of the newest members of the Boxwood family, a young person who had been harmed in an inexcusable way and now has challenges to overcome. Harvey’s response was immediate and deeply human: he was upset by the cruelty of people picking on someone who is harmless.

Harvey later shared that when he was in school, a young person with special needs once came up and hugged him. He was not offended. He understood that some people simply need care, patience, and kindness.

“That is when I realized Sharod is a community protector. A community protector is someone who sees vulnerability and responds with care. Strength is not about harming others; it is about protecting those who may not be able to protect themselves,” said Marie Thelusma-Chase, CFRE, CEO and Founder of Boxwood Learning Center. “This is what Boxwood was created to do: support young people long enough for them to grow, return, lead, and protect the next generation.”

Boxwood’s Community of Love model is built on the belief that young people need more than short-term programs. They need consistent relationships, educational pathways, workforce opportunities, mentoring, and safe places where they can return, reconnect, and continue growing.

Through AmeriCorps, the Union County Youth Services Commission, community partners, and other supporters, Boxwood continues to provide educational and workforce pathways for young people across Union County. The organization’s drop-in centers, GED programming, mentoring, and summer workforce experiences help youth build confidence, skills, and a sense of purpose.

Harvey’s return as an AmeriCorps member reflects the heart of Boxwood’s mission: helping young people move from receiving support to becoming leaders who support others.

About the Community of Love

● A Community of Love does not disappear when a grant ends.
● A Community of Love creates room for young people to return, lead, and serve.
● A Community of Love recognizes that restoration happens through relationship, structure, opportunity, and care.
● A Community of Love raises community protectors – young adults who understand pain and choose to protect, restore, and strengthen others

“Empathy is one of the human behaviors that can be modeled, nurtured, and learned,” said Marie Thelusma-Chase, Founder and CEO of Boxwood Learning Center. “When young people have mostly experienced trauma, rejection, or hurt, they need loving hands, consistent relationships, and safe communities to help rebuild their ability to care for themselves and others. This is what we are seeing in the youth at Boxwood. They start to feel again.”

About Boxwood Learning Center

Boxwood Learning Center is a nonprofit organization based in Union County, New Jersey, founded in 2019 to support champions on their pathway to success. Boxwood provides youth and young adults with educational support, GED pathways, mentoring, workforce development, drop-in centers, and life-skills programming. The organization serves young people and families through a long-term support model designed to help youth learn, heal, grow, and thrive into adulthood.