One thing that I did find interesting was that the faculty picks the children up from school to take them to Teen Reach, then drops them off at their home. Teen reach hours of operation over the summer is 1:30pm-6pm.
Teen Reach is a outstanding program for children to go after school while their parents or at work or maybe just need a little break. While taking my Death and Dying course I was able to relate some of my volunteer experience to what I learned in class. Many parents are not able to put their child in a after-school programs or daycare because of the expenses. The fact that parents are able to trust their facility to pick their children up until they get off work is something that is quite convenint. Also, the program gives the children something to do so that they do not become involved in any trouble.
During my first time volunteering at Teen Reach I had the chance to speak with one of the professionals ,Lindsey Vandermeer,that works there. During my conversation with Lindsey I found out more about Teen Reach as a whole. She also went on to explain the children and her interactions with them everyday. My networking experience with Lindsey showed me that going that extra mile can really make a difference.She explained that her days are sometimes hard, but her passion for giving back to the children overcame those hard times that she has. When she made this statement I was able to understand where she was coming from because I continue to keep going even when the times are getting rough.
The potential effect that this service could have on the community is children being able to go a place and not have to worry about anything for that time, but enjoying being a kid. The time spent at Teen Reach could be exactly what the children look forward to everyday because it has everything children like to do such as painting,board games,the
wii,computers,snack, pool table, television, and even a place where they could do their homework. The thought behind picking children up from school,bringing them to a safe facility where the children can play, then to taking them home is something I think is smart and has the potential to be done in other places across the country.
My overall experience was one that was good. I noticed that some children do not get the chance to enjoy being a child because they may be having problems at home. Teen Reach gives children the opportunity to enjoy their childhood in case they may not have as many resources at home.
While I was interacting with the children I also noticed that something as simple as asking for an extra granola bar to take home showed me that they may not get the same treatment at Teen Reach as they do at home. The children enjoy being at the facility and playing games with their friends because both times that I volunteered all of the children had smiles on their face.I want to be able to help out as much as I can when it comes to the children because no matter what their background they are our future.
No comments:
Post a Comment