My Little Sister, and End of Semester Thoughts

I got to meet my little sister last week.  It was really nerve-racking and I was nervous about if she would like me and if we would get along well.   It was fine.  I went to her house to pick her up and we went and just sat at McDonald's for awhile just talking and getting to know each other.  She did most of the talking, and I just asked questions but that was just fine by me.  She's really sweet and likes animals and wants to be a veterinarian.  The next day I got to see her in the Christmas Parade.  It was really funny she didn't see me at first so I had to run down a little bit so she could see me.  She was really excited that I saw her, and I could hear her telling her friends "Look there's my big sister."  Obviously, from my earlier posts I was nervous about being a big sister but this made it all a lot less scary.

This semester has been a very interesting experience.  It was a crazy semester but it's been a lot of fun.  I really enjoyed volunteering at Y Read and plan on volunteering there next semester as well.  I would like to volunteer with Success by Six, but I'm afraid if I do I'll be spread too thin and won't be as useful and they would need.  So for now I'll just stick with Big Brothers, Big Sisters and Y Read.  If I haven't mentioned this earlier my platform is probably going to be literacy and childhood education.  I did a speech on this last semester in Com 201 and it really opened my eyes as to how important education is to alleviating poverty.  It's one easy to think about this being a problem only overseas but it's not, and there are programs dealing with this problem right here at home.  If my Mom taught me anything its the value of education, and she's the reason I've chosen education as my platform.  

Best wishes to all, and have a wonderful Christmas and New Year's! 

Big Brothers, Big Sisters

Went to meet the parents today of my potential little sister, and it went really well.  I'm going to meet her next week.  I'm really excited and really nervous!

So I finally got the call!

Big Brothers, Big Sisters finally called me Thursday to tell me they have a potential little sister for me.  The meeting is Monday, and I'm really nervous.  Since I will be going home for the holidays, and hopefully studying in Spain this summer, that might affect if I would be a good match.  Being gone for six weeks isn't very conducive to being a good big sister, although there is always Skype, it's not the same.  Hopefully, the parents will understand, and it'll be a good match for everyone involved.  So wish me luck!

Thanksgiving Break

Just some updates before I leave for New York.  I've been continuing to volunteer at the Y reading to the kids.  Since Thanksgiving is next week they won't be at the Y to read to.  Still haven't heard back from Big Brothers, Big Sisters, but then I knew it would take a while.  I'm actually almost done with my ten hours, just a few more reading sessions to go, but I'm not going to stop going after I've got my hours.  Those kids are so cute, and it's a lot of fun reading with them, although sometimes you have to be careful because they will try to skip ahead in the book so they don't have to read as much.  Going to be honest I'm a little nervous about my presentation in class, I want to do well, but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about.  Well that's all folks! Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and eats lots of turkey!

Accepted

I just got my letter Friday from Big Brothers, Big Sisters saying that I had been accepted.  Hopefully they will be calling me soon about a match.  I'm really looking forward to it!  Also looking forward to being back at The Y after a week of being sick.  Reading with the kids is always a lot of fun, even if it gets a little crazy sometimes!  Well, that's my quick update for a Saturday night, I'll hopefully be posting new and exciting information soon!

Just some regular updates.

I still haven't heard from Big Brothers, Big Sisters.  That's alright, I've been very busy, so hopefully when they do call things will have settled down.  I am going to The Y today with Amanda to help read to the kids there, last week we helped in the homework room.  I actually had fun helping them with math of all things!  I'm planning on calling the Shoals Environmental Assoc. one of their nature walks sounded really interesting.  I know that's not necessarily community service, but it will be a learning experience.  Other than that, there's really nothing else going on.  But just thinking, I think it would be really cool if there was a group somewhere that knitted hats for children in need.  I know there are programs like that I just have to find them.  I guess I'm going to have to ask around.  Wish me luck!

"10 Years of Hope, Trying to Save Abandoned Newborns" by Kristen McQueary

This article was really heartbreaking.  I've heard of the stories of desperate mothers leaving their children in dumpsters or other places before, but its definitely not something I like to think about.  The article mentioned that  Geras had been inspired to pass Safe Haven laws in Illinois after reading about incident that happened in Alabama.  A young woman had taken her newborn to a Safe Haven i.e. a hospital, police station, or fire station.  Safe Haven laws allow mothers to anonymously leave their children at these places.  The children are then sent to adoptive parents, and bypass the foster care system.  I knew these laws existed but I wasn't aware that Alabama had enacted them.  We do under the Code of Alabama-Title 26, Ch 25 Sect. 26-25-1,2,3,4,5.  It's awful that these laws have to be enacted, but thankfully these mothers now have a legal and safe way to abandon their children.  I wish we didn't have to have these laws, that people weren't put in situations where the best option is to abandon their child.  These laws give these children a chance at a good life, a chance for college and not a life filled with uncertainty.  It makes me have a little more faith in humanity that someone like Geras would get a law passed to help these infants.  But the problem hasn't been fixed by enacting these Safe Haven laws.  There is a root problem, and that is what must be fixed.  People should be educated about safe sex, and the responsibilities that come with having a child. I also personally believe that condoms and free birth control pills should be handed out to anyone who asks for it.  People worry about infants left in toilets, and we have to enact laws to give desperate mothers a different option, and people worry about unfit people having too many children, or populations skyrocketing, well here's your answer.  It's not population control, its giving people the education to know what to do and what resources they have, and then giving them the option to have, not just condoms, but birth control pills for free.  Anyway that's my soap box, and I apologize for ranting, but there it is.  Before women have to resort to putting babies in toilets let's give them the option to not get pregnant, and here's the radical part, let's do it for free!

The Y

This last Monday I volunteered at the Y's Accelerated Reader Program.  Basically how this works is you help kids from 1st to 4th grade read their AR books.  They have to read the books three times, one time you read it to them, then they read it to themselves, and then they read it to you so that you know they understand.  It's a really good program, but they definitely need more volunteers.  Amanda Frazier and I went on Monday when they have a smaller group and we were overwhelmed.  The ratio was about 5 to 1 of us, and we really could not effectively help these kids as much as I would have liked to simply because there were so many.  It was a lot of fun however, and I really enjoyed it.  Unfortunately, I couldn't go on Wednesday because I wasn't feeling well, but I am looking forward to going back next week.

Interview

Had my interview with Big Brothers, Big Sisters today.  I think it went well, and hopefully I will be matched quickly.  I need to look around at some schools to see if they have any tutoring programs that I can help with, or they know someone who could use help with classes.  Maybe I'll even go read to kids.  So many choices, so little time.

Big Brothers, Big Sisters

I have an interview with Big Brothers Big Sisters next Monday.  I'm very excited, but as previously stated a little nervous.  Hopefully the interview will go well.  I'm also hoping to tutor kids at some local high schools possibly in Literature, but most definitely in Spanish.  I might go check out YMCA and see if they have any tutoring programs they need help with.  Wish me luck on my interview!

Updates on my attempts to volunteer.

Unfortunately, The Healing Place has too many volunteers, well actually that's probably a good thing.  However, it means that I did not get to go work there last Thursday.  Today I gave Big Brothers, Big Sisters my information, and hopefully someday soon I will be a big sister to someone.  I'm a little nervous about this, I really want to be a good role model.  I am concerned about balancing school, volunteer activities, and a job, but I think I can manage.  I just hope that I'll be a good big sister, I want to really commit to this and do it right because that child deserves it.  So wish me luck!

So This Is It

Or whatever this is.  This blog is going to be a documentation of my volunteer works throughout the year.  Think of it as a written documentary of sorts.  I don't know how this is going to turn out, and I'm not going to think about it.  I hope it will be interesting to at least one person.  Maybe even informative, that would be lovely.  Right now I am waiting to commence my service to the community.  Next week I will be working at The Healing Place.  It's a wonderful experience volunteering there, and I'm really looking forward to being back with the kids.