The guest speakers we have had in class have made one thing clear to me: that passion is the overall drive for service, and a passionate individual often makes the biggest impact. Nathaniel Price started his organization, Transform Scott County, because he grew up in a less-fortunate family and has set out to fight the poverty that he once knew so well. The main goal of his organization was to create lasting relationships with the people he helped, instead of providing straight relief. His message and passion for change through communication and interaction with the people in need has remained in the back of my mind as I completed my hours of service at the Boys and Girls Club this semester, and I was more aware of the types of assistance the organization was providing.
Sure, the Boys and Girls Club gives these kids relief through shelter when they need it after school, snacks when they’re hungry, and even a bag of clothes to a kid who had nothing but a pair of Spongebob Squarepants pajamas to his name. But, what I found to be most important, and most impactful, about the organization was the staff that were in charge of these kids for these few hours a day. Each day, I made sure to spend a little time talking with the staff about the organization and their personal lives. From these conversations, it was clear the passion they had for these children and that they were always trying their best to give them the best care they could, while making sure to teach them some life lessons along the way.
Getting a glimpse into the personal life of the staff allowed me to know that Ms. Celeste was going back to college to get a degree so that she could better provide for her niece she just received custody of; Ms. Renda works with her church and schools to take teach kids and take them on educational field trips; and Josh, who isn’t technically a staff member but works similar to one, was once a student of the Boys and Girls Club himself, and now at the age of 16 still comes around every day to help at the place he loves so much. Having a little background on the staff members gave me the opportunity to see the dedication that they had to these kids. Even though they had hardships and obligations of their own, they still devoted at least 4 hours a day to be a positive influence on these kid’s lives.
Ms. Renda has definitely had the biggest impression on me during my time at the Boys and Girls Club. She was the first staff member to welcome me in with open arms to tell all about the organization and what they do on a daily basis. Her regular duties were assisting the group B kids, being in charge of the art room and planning crafts, and overall being a role model and friend to the kids she spent time with. However, in her opinion her duties spanned far beyond those of a group leader and crafter. When asked about what she wanted from our class, she fired ideas at me left and right, and I could tell how excited she was to be able to give these kids a different kind of adventure. She wanted to take the kids to science centers, aquariums, and schools around the area so that the kids can learn fun things in a different type of educational environment. She hated that the kids were always locked in the gym for the duration of their stay and couldn’t wait to get them into a new type of learning environment. Ultimately, one thing she said stuck out to me, she said “we have these kids for a few hours a day, but what happens when they leave here is what we have no control over, and that’s scary, so we need to make as positive impact as we can while they’re with us”. Her goal as a staff member was to expose these kids to strong leaders and role models while they are with them, so that they can take the life lessons they learn in that time and apply them to everything they do. She wants the kids to be able to overcome the rough environments they were born into and make the most of their life, because they can be anything they want to be.
I had similar conversations to this with other staff members, like Ms. Celeste, that proved my hypothesis was correct. No matter the staff member I spoke with, all of the staff had a passion for making a difference in these kid’s lives. They were there not as a job, or a past time, but they were staff because they cared. I believe this speaks volumes for the world of non-profits and how organizations should be modeled. Anyone can hand someone $20 and feel good about it, but it takes a truly special individual to immerse themselves in an organization and strive to change people’s lives for the better. I can only hope to have the passion that people like Ms. Renda, Ms. Celeste, and Nathaniel Price have for their organizations, and apply it to my many planned hours of service in the future.
-- Olivia Morganett
Sure, the Boys and Girls Club gives these kids relief through shelter when they need it after school, snacks when they’re hungry, and even a bag of clothes to a kid who had nothing but a pair of Spongebob Squarepants pajamas to his name. But, what I found to be most important, and most impactful, about the organization was the staff that were in charge of these kids for these few hours a day. Each day, I made sure to spend a little time talking with the staff about the organization and their personal lives. From these conversations, it was clear the passion they had for these children and that they were always trying their best to give them the best care they could, while making sure to teach them some life lessons along the way.
Getting a glimpse into the personal life of the staff allowed me to know that Ms. Celeste was going back to college to get a degree so that she could better provide for her niece she just received custody of; Ms. Renda works with her church and schools to take teach kids and take them on educational field trips; and Josh, who isn’t technically a staff member but works similar to one, was once a student of the Boys and Girls Club himself, and now at the age of 16 still comes around every day to help at the place he loves so much. Having a little background on the staff members gave me the opportunity to see the dedication that they had to these kids. Even though they had hardships and obligations of their own, they still devoted at least 4 hours a day to be a positive influence on these kid’s lives.
Ms. Renda has definitely had the biggest impression on me during my time at the Boys and Girls Club. She was the first staff member to welcome me in with open arms to tell all about the organization and what they do on a daily basis. Her regular duties were assisting the group B kids, being in charge of the art room and planning crafts, and overall being a role model and friend to the kids she spent time with. However, in her opinion her duties spanned far beyond those of a group leader and crafter. When asked about what she wanted from our class, she fired ideas at me left and right, and I could tell how excited she was to be able to give these kids a different kind of adventure. She wanted to take the kids to science centers, aquariums, and schools around the area so that the kids can learn fun things in a different type of educational environment. She hated that the kids were always locked in the gym for the duration of their stay and couldn’t wait to get them into a new type of learning environment. Ultimately, one thing she said stuck out to me, she said “we have these kids for a few hours a day, but what happens when they leave here is what we have no control over, and that’s scary, so we need to make as positive impact as we can while they’re with us”. Her goal as a staff member was to expose these kids to strong leaders and role models while they are with them, so that they can take the life lessons they learn in that time and apply them to everything they do. She wants the kids to be able to overcome the rough environments they were born into and make the most of their life, because they can be anything they want to be.
I had similar conversations to this with other staff members, like Ms. Celeste, that proved my hypothesis was correct. No matter the staff member I spoke with, all of the staff had a passion for making a difference in these kid’s lives. They were there not as a job, or a past time, but they were staff because they cared. I believe this speaks volumes for the world of non-profits and how organizations should be modeled. Anyone can hand someone $20 and feel good about it, but it takes a truly special individual to immerse themselves in an organization and strive to change people’s lives for the better. I can only hope to have the passion that people like Ms. Renda, Ms. Celeste, and Nathaniel Price have for their organizations, and apply it to my many planned hours of service in the future.
-- Olivia Morganett