Category: Parent Talk
Aloha! I was just wondering if anyone out there ever volunteered with children? If so, what was your experience like?
Around 2002 until 2005, I started volunteering in a daycare center around where I live. It was fun and rewarding for me. But I also felt it was a calling from God. I had always loved kids and I enjoyed spending time with them.
I met a lot of children there who changed my life for the better. Kassie was one of those children, along with a little girl named Shaianne and one named Savannah.
I know you’re not supposed to have favorites, but I couldn’t help it. Kass, Savannah and Shaianne were my favorites, along with another little girl named Sammie.
Sammie and I had something special. Sammie had trouble speaking, but she wasn’t scared to talk to me. She had a speech problem. Also, whenever she would get really upset, she wouldn’t be able to talk at all. I was the one who got her to do so and I did it by being patient and compassionate with her. She was a sweetheart.
As for Shaianne, she was an awesome kid! I remember this one time we took the kids out for splash day. Shaianne didn’t want to leave me because she didn’t want me to be lonely. I finally convinced her to go play with the other kids after a few minutes.
About five minutes later, Shaianne came back to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. She wanted me to pick her up. I did so and gave her a hug. I then said, “Oh Shai, what am I Going to do with you?”
Shaianne, taking me literally said, “Read me a story, please?”
I giggled and obliged.
About three weeks after I had been volunteering at the daycare center, I had been getting comfortable around the kids in room A and the teachers wanted to try me in a different room. They took me to room E and that’s when I met Savannah. She was so sweet and really smart for her age. She had brown hair and brown eyes. She wasn’t too affectionate with people, but after we talked for a little while, she came and sat in my lap. She enjoyed it when I told her stories. When naptime rolled around, she let me pat her. She also liked it when I sang to her.
I found out that Savannah had an older sister named Shaina and a young brother. She was pushed aside a lot at home and didn’t get the right attention.
After the first day I was there, the teacher pulled me aside and told me that Savannah had never been affectionate to anyone before. She said that I must have been someone special.
I started dividing my time up between room A and E for the next few weeks. The kids in room A loved me to pieces, but Savannah and Sophie, who was another sweet little girl, loved it when I came to Room E as well. They always gave me hugs.
After Savannah left, which was a year later, I met another little girl named Alexandria. She was so sweet. Her nickname was Lexi. She was the peacemaker of the classroom and she did her job well. She was also in a bad situation at home. A situation that I could somewhat relate to. I helped her out as best I could and she seemed to enjoy my company.
A few days before Savannah left, I was in room E, helping out when I heard a thud, followed by a cry. I then felt someone tugging on my hand. I glanced down to see Emily, another little girl I loved, standing there. She told me that Savannah was hurt. I thanked Emily and went over to see what had happened.
Needless to say, I ended up putting the boy who had hurt Savannah on time out. He had been pushing my buttons all day. I cuddled with Savannah for awhile and made sure she was okay. I told her a story and that helped her to calm down. She didn’t want me to leave her, but right before nap, I had to. I was eating in room A that day. I felt really bad, but I promised her I would be back.
After I had eaten lunch, I went back to Room E and helped get the kids down for nap. I patted some of them, including Savannah, and sung to them. It seemed to help them get off to sleep easier.
Kaili was another favorite of mine. She was in kindergarten and she would always want a hug from me whenever I would help out there. I enjoyed spending time with her as well as the other kids.
On my last day volunteering there, Kassie gave me a present and she also wrote something in a card the kids in Room A made for me. I still have the card somewhere, but I’ll never forget the present Kassie gave me. It was a cup full of different colored flowers. It was cute! The message on the card said, “To Lauren from Kassie. Thank you for being my special friend. I love you.” Even though Kassie’s mother wrote it for her, I know the message came from Kassie’s heart and that makes it all the more special. As for Kassie’s message to me in the card, it said, “I love her and she is my best friend.” Shai’s message was, “I love giving her kisses and hugs.”
My last day was bittersweet. Kassie didn’t want me to leave. She was crying when I did. Savannah was upset as well. As far as Sophie, Shaianne and Sammie, they were sad to see me go too. Shaianne was the one who took it the hardest out of the three.
I had met Alexandria and Kaili a few months before I left, so I was sure to see them again.
Throughout my time volunteering there, I met some pretty sweet and amazing kids who wanted nothing but to be loved. They are very special to me and hold a very special place in my heart.
I hope everyone enjoyed my volunteering story. I can’t wait to hear everyone else’s!
That's such a lovely story. I can relate to really getting attached to kids and how they can change our lives for the better.
Three years ago, I spent a week in Calcutta with 12 other students from my 4th year class. We had raised a substantial amount of money and as a result we got to travel to Calcutta to see the kids who would benifit from this. To say it was a culture shock for all of us is probably the understatement of the century. We went to three slum areas, met children in the red light district, went to many orphanages to name but a few.
One of the children I'll never forget was a little girl who I met in a creche in a slum area. the room was small, with a cement floor and walls, but the volunteers did the best they could and the kids loved it. One little girl (who's name I never knew) ran straight up to me and put her arms around my knees, saying 'pick up, Auntie!'. I picked her up - and was horrified; this child was apparently three years old, but weighed no more than an average 1-year-old, if even that; I could easily have swung her right over my head (I decided instead to gently bounce her against my shoulder, which she loved!) - it really brought the concept of malnutrition home.
Another little one who holds special memories for me was a little girl I met at a school called Loreto Sealdah, which we visited because our school is also run by the Catholic Loreto sisters. The headmistress there is an Irish native, Sr. Cyril Mooney, and she has set up many programs to reach out to some of the 20.000 street children of Calcutta. One of these is the 'rainbow program', where about 800 street children have their classes on the roof of the school, get their meals there, and sleep in the classrooms at night. they are taught by the older children, and recieve the one-to-one attention which enables them to progress in ways which are truely inspiring and astounding. One little girl in particular became very attached to me, even though we only spent a few hours there. she copped on very quickly to my blindness, and helpfully dragged me around by the hand; when we had to leave, she put her arms around me, looked up straight into my face and said 'you come back tomorrow, auntie?' I smiled and said I'd have to see, and I'll never forget how disappointed that poor child was. I quickly gave her a hug and said she'd always be really special to me and to never forget me, because I'd never forget her. to this day I still remember that moment.
My final little anecdote is from a day when we went into the Red Light district of the city, and to a home were many of the children were either HIV-positive, or were there because their mothers were involved in prostitution and they wanted their kids to have a more stable life in the home. One little girl, only 3 years old, really struck me; she didn't say one word the eitre time we were there, she had only been found wandering alone that morning, and she had scars on her face, and sores around her mouth and on her hands. she sat in a corner, staring at the toy that had been given to her, with absolutely no idea what to do with it. the staff said they were going to take her to a doctor and get her evaluated for trauma or Post-traumatic stress, but it was just incredible to see that tiny child, with no concept of play, with no ability or desire to interact. I think about her often and hope she has been able to recover from whatever traumatic events or circumstances she had to witness.
that's my story, hope you found it interesting.
C
Aloha. Your story wasn't just interesting, it was incredible. I really learned a lot from reading it. Thank you for that.
God blessreally
For awhile, I volunteered with children at our local blind camps. I had to take off for a couple of years; however, I do plan to go back and do it this year. I really miss working with the kids. It is always a lot of fun.
irish girl 1215, I really and truly did enjoy your story. I found it very inspiring and touching. I will pray that those children, especially the poor little girl who had been through trauma, that they find peace and happiness and that their lives are truly touched. FaithinGod4ever, your story was also sweet and inspiring.
While volunteering at the camps, I can say that I have also met a lot of children and have helped many through their challenges. When working at the camps, we volunteers were paired up with one to two children each, and we were to work with them throughout the entire duration of camp. I was paired up with the most interesting children. I will never forget them.
One child was a little girl named Windsey who was adopted from China by a very well off family. Her parents were very nice. I got to watch Windsey grow from a very scared little girl who barely knew english to a girl who is social, outgoing, and not afraid to conquer anything. I can remembeder when I first met her, she dropped her rasins on the floor by accident, and then she began picking them up and eating them from the floor. As soon as I caught onto what she was doing. I gently told her she could not do that, and then I gave her another box of rasins. I bet she ate them from the floor because that is probably what her and the children did in the orphanages in China when they dropped food. So Sad. I am gladd that she was fortunate to be brought over here and given a chance to live a better life. She was only six when I first started working with her.
I always wonder how she is doing now. I wonder what she has become. I still think about her from time to time.
Another year, I was paired up with a boy named Roberto and his friend Rafael. The directors paired them up with me because they did not speak english well at all. They had just come fresh over to the United States from Mexico, and I am fluent in Spanish. I was the only one in the camp, out of all the staff and volunteers, that knew the language. Roberto and his little friend came from a very hard life, but their families were determined to make things better here. It turned out that the both of them knew one another before immigrating.
I really love those children. While all of them have moved on--they outgrew the camp--they will always be in my memory.
To Roberto and Rafael, I must say, "Yo siempre le adoraré para siempre y nunca le se olvidaré." and to Windsey, I must say, "Good on you for coming out of your shell andbecoming a fearless warrior. I always believed in you."
Aloha! That story was awesome! I really enjoyed it! i hope you and I can talk sometime!
These stories were so touching! I've never volunteered with kids however these stories were just wow...I can't find the words to express.
Thank you all for sharing! I will be praying for these children!
NP! I was happy too.
I usually work with special education but I am more connected with them with the smarter go getters and stuff like that especially when you get them started you can see how they like learning when they learn the efficient way. My favorite who I worked with one on one for a year and a half nearly two years a combiodian autistic sixth grader at the time she's now a junior in high school was my favorite. She liked me you wouldn't say loved more like respected me after a while. I think she knew deep down very deep down that I wanted her good and had her best interest at heart. Her favorite comment about me was I like Rachel but she's strict I smiled everytime I heard that. She definitely had a rough experience at home her parents didn't want her in the house because she was disabled I think it shamed them because they were asian so christie lived with her aunt and cousin who over protected her yet neglected her. We had good conversations when I got her distracted and stop asking repetitive questions or talking to herself. but I made her work good and hard and learn a lot. She asked about me at times and was just really interesting. I got to see her work through things when she knew it was easy and she got it down a bit. no longer such a stranger to concepts no one had tried teaching her. I felt like some sort of mother towards her, I think I got more attached to her then she was to me. heard she regressed because no one kept it up and worked with her as vigourously. It's pretty sad. for a few glorious years she was making progress and moved upwards we saw her learn a lot more then she ever had for one point she knew how to read and write and do simple math. there was something there she could be proud of.