Project Link: Teen Reach By Ashley Bell

On June 7th, 2011 and June 8th, 2011 I volunteered at the Teen Reach located in Charleston, IL. Teen Reach provides homework assistance, positive adult mentors, a place for children to feel safe, and life skill classes just to name a few. Teen Reach had alot of different activities for the children to partake in such as painting, playing with the Wii, a computer lab,a pool table, and they even had a room were they were allowed to do homework.

Volunteering for Teen Reach helped me put some of the skills that I have learned into play. While playing with the children, I began to ask them questions, the first question I asked was "Who all lives in your household?" When asking this question I thought about the discussion we had in class about not just assuming that children live with their mother or father, but finding a way to ask questions without making them feel inferior to any other children. Without learning this in class, I would have just asked the child "Do they like living with their mommy and daddy." Not realizing that question could have made them feel very uncomfortable.

While volunteering at Teen Reach, I was able to network with Ms. Lindsey Vandermeer. Ms. Vandermeer and I did an activity together with some of the children were we created a painting on a the front of a CD and the creations would be hung on the wall. While talking to her I decided to ask her, what got her into this field. Ms. Vandermeer basically told me that she wanted to give children a place to go were they felt safe, and would be able to enjoy themselves and meet children that they had other things in common with. One thing she said that I can total agree with is "I have my ups and downs, but knowing that I am making a difference, makes me smile." That is how I feel, going into the major of FCS I look up to those that are making a difference because that is what this major is all about...Finding a way to help a child by any means necessary.

The potential effect that this service can have to the community is a Safe Haven, although Charleston isn't know for alot of crime, no one ever really knows what kids go through when they are at home. For some children school and after school programs like Teen Reach are a get away for them. As long as Teen Reach keeps reaching out to children, I see no reason why their organization won't grow and maybe even be available in more cities.

I really enjoyed helping out at Teen Reach, mainly because I love kids, I love watching how kids interact with each other and talking to them and see their out look on different subjects. One thing that truly touched my heart is that majority of the children were really having a good time...making up games, painting cds, playing in the computer lab, or even just playing pool. It seemed like being at Teen Reach was the highlight of their day. That is something I truly want to achieve in my later life, I want to be able to use my resources and help as many children as I can. Volunteering at Teen Reach helped me realize that working with kids is something I truly want to do, and I will be volunteering at Teen Reach more often.