Jessica Etchingham - Teen Reach

1. I volunteered at a non profit organization in Charleston, IL called Teen Reach. It is an after school program for children so they have a place to go during the school year and during the Summer instead of being at home. The children have the choice to come or not and they do because most of them would rather be at the site then around what is going on at their home.

2. Teen reach reflects what we learn in disadvantaged family greatly because most of these children come from low income families and almost all are living in forms of poverty. I am also currently enrolled in a course that involves parent and child relationships and I think that this course is relatable to the site as well. It teaches us about topics that are to be discussed or should be between a parent and a child and most of these children's parents are not around enough to have these discussions.

3. I was able to speak with the director of the site C.J. Porter who informed me on how well the program does do because of the attention it is getting from the community and especially the students of Eastern Illinois University. He told me the only problems that occur are the donations, although they are becoming much better especially with Salvation Army's new donation of healthier foods for the children. I was able to gain a sense of what this program really does and in general how a non profit organization really works which is especially important in the type of field I would love to go into for work.

4. Teen Reach has a great effect on the community mainly for the children because it allows them to come to a safe and enjoyable place instead of out doing who knows what. These children do not have many people to go home to that care enough about their social skills, education, and even hygiene. This program promotes positive behaviors and allows the community to see what great people are coming together to help these children.

5. This assignment was a great experience and allowed myself and hopefully my classmates to gain insight into organizations and activities that are helpful to the community. It is important as a student and a future FCS professional to realize it is about helping the individual, the family, and the community and these types of services allow us to see and experience what is available to the community presently.