It's been a week full of volunteer trainings and I have to say that we're SO GLAD to have our college students back! So far, in the last week, I've trained 12 new (and a few returning) people, and I have 8 more coming up tomorrow!
One of the nice things about training returning volunteers is that they already know what they're getting themselves in to. I've taken up warning people at the trainings that once you sign the Volunteer Promise, you're in it forever. You become part of the family. The returning volunteers are proof of that.
Touching Story
I trained one on Tuesday who was not able to help out last semester, but he was here last year, and he very specifically asked to be placed working with one student with whom he got close last year. The student he was asking about came to us a couple years ago, straight from Mexico, barely able to speak English and has excelled at catching up since then. Last year, there was one day he started crying at the end of the program because he didn't finish his homework and he knew that there was no one to help him at home. This year, he's gotten a little more rambunctious. He's a kid who is finally comfortable with his surroundings, so he's pushing the boundaries and getting into a little bit of trouble. I'm really glad this volunteer is back and wants so badly to take an interest in this one kid. Sometimes, that's all it takes.
Health Concerns
We've sent a lot of our kids home sick this week. We've also had several call in sick. The first one we sent home is a very sweet girl who always has a huge smile on her face and works very hard. You can tell, every day, that she is very appreciative to have this opportunity for help on her homework, the chance to meet safely with kids her age, and maybe try some new things. On Monday she came in with a bad cough, but was still smiling throughout the day. Until I walked into the room she was in and she asked me if it was hot in there. It was not. In fact, it was downright chilly. I felt her forehead and told her that if *I* could tell she was running a fever, she must be burning up, and she would have to go home and get some rest. Wednesday, her mom called to say that she hadn't gone to school that day, but she was asking if she could come to the program. Unfortunately, the answer was no.
The weird thing about all the kids we've sent home is that none of them were for the same thing. I know that the flu is going around, and some were flu-like symptoms, but some were not. Just remember to wash your hands, people! Eat right, exercise, drink lots of water, and get lots of rest. This flu season is a bad one!
Still Going Strong
Despite all that we have going on this week, we're still running our regularly scheduled program. Our kids actually had a chance to go to the store this week (which sometimes doesn't happen when we don't have enough volunteers). The hot ticket item to the younger kids was the Mr. Potato Head that I bought as an illustration for the Children's Sermon I gave this Sunday. I never had a Mr. Potato Head growing up, and Toy Story came out when I was older, so I had no special attachment to it, and just stuck it in there. The saddest part is that there was only one, so all of the kids (K-3) wanted to go to the store first.
And now some pictures proving the kids actually do work too. These were taken during the Troopers and Braves' 2-minute math tests. If you look closely, you can see some of them counting on their fingers.
And one of the Conquerors (4-6) playing *something* during gym games.
What I'm Up To
By the end of this week, I will have coordinated the program twice and run two trainings. I've finished "Thank You" cards to people who have donated to me (finally!), and, thanks to the help of awesome volunteers on Monday evening, my regular tasks of putting price tags on things for the store and sorting out newly donated books (by AR Reading level, and organization for our library) are almost done! Now I have the new task of working on the K-1st grade curriculum, if I can figure out how with the resources we've got. We actually have plenty of actual resources for the curriculum. The problem is the resources for organization, given the actual physical size of some of the parts of the curriculum.
Should be interesting.
THANK YOU
I just want to say again, to everyone who is supporting me in this mission, financially and otherwise, how much it means to me. The outpouring of love I feel from you guys is beyond what I ever expected. Even if you haven't been able to contribute with your money, you have been so creative in finding ways to help out and it just blows me away. And definitely keeps me on my toes.
So, if you're one of the people who loves me and/or the kids at Pomona Hope, gives of your time, your resources, and/or your creativity, and you happen to be reading this, thank you.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Remember what your mother taught you: If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.