Becky Kalas. Project Link.

1.     1.  Every Tuesday and Thursday I volunteer at the Catholic Newman center for the after school program.  The after school program is where kids from the community who are in grades kindergarten through high school can go to get help with homework.  They have the chance to create a bond with someone older than them and someone that they can look up to. Every tutor is paired with a child and they work with that child the entire semester.

2.      2. The volunteer experience that I have had has related to many of my FCS classes. The classes that I have taken have educated me on families and the different situations that a family can be in. While I volunteer I am working with children who may not come from the best home life. I volunteer to help the kids and to be a positive role model in their life. FCS has taught me that it is important for kids to have a positive role model in their life.

3.     3.  Volunteering has given me the chance to connect with kids from the Charleston community, It is important to lend a hand in the community. I get an amazing opportunity to meet some wonderful young people. I enjoy getting the chance to help young minds develop. I have gained experience from volunteering and I have gained friendships not only with the kids but the other tutors as well.

4.      4. The after school program is a positive influence on the children of Charleston. Children are the future and it is important that we make a positive impact on their lives. The things that they experience now are the things that will stick with them forever. I think that it is great for younger kids to pair up with a college student, because I think college students make great mentors to younger kids.

5.   5.    I enjoy volunteering at the Newman center. This program is a great way to meet individuals from the community. It is nice to help make an impact on a child’s life. It is such a simple thing to do; all I have had to do is be there for them. Children need love and support; they need someone to believe in them. It is important for children to have someone in their life that shows them that they care for them. I have had the pleasure of watching many of these kids grow. This program is important to me and I think it is a wonderful  thing and I have seen it make an impact on many lives.