[3237] in APO News
volunteer at homeless shelters!!
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Bradley J Lichtenstein)
Wed May 6 02:24:08 1998
Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 02:21:59 -0400
From: Bradley J Lichtenstein <robocop2@MIT.EDU>
To: apo-news@MIT.EDU
Cc: robocop2@MIT.EDU, jamie@MIT.EDU
Hi--and sorry for the late-ish notice,
...And please bear with me, I figure some background/lengthy
description is appropriate before saying "If you're interested, call
by tomorrow early afternoon 287-1900 and ask for Ellen, she'll give
you the details of the only-three-times-a-year training session this
Weds and next Weds (attendance at both is mandatory before starting a
volunteer position), altho there is a make-up slot for both sessions
on Saturday the 16th, probably in the morning."
I've been volunteering for the last three months through an
organization called Horizons Initiative, whose mandate is to help kids
of homeless families--which implies, among other things, providing
significant services to the homeless parents like helping house
hunting, job hunting, job training, and parenting training. They also
coordinate volunteers for many Boston-area homeless shelters that are
exclusively for homeless families with kids. Ok, with that
background:
They seek volunteers--and LOTS of them--to help interact with
the kids, and they are only looking for a regularly scheduled two-hour
weekly commitment. For example, I "work" 9:30 to 11:30 A.M. at a
preschool for homeless kids in Dorchester, right near the Savin Hill
red line T stop. I say "work" because my sole "job" is to amuse and
give attention to a bunch of 4 and 5 year olds in order to a) give
them attention they really need--which is more than the average
preschooler because of their tenuous situation-- and b) to lighten the
load on the teachers who have to ride herd upon them all.
My girlfriend works with another group, which happens to be in
the same building, Thursday evenings as a "Play Lady." Her job is
essentially a couple hours' day care for 3 year olds and older, the
object being to give the kids more human interaction outside their
family and give them a chance to play and give their parents a much
needed break from having the kids with them most of the day in a room
in the shelter that is perhaps as large as a small dorm room.
These kids, like most kids, are darlings: they will run right
up to you the first time they see you and will act like Velcro; they
are that starved for adult attention. Ask Jamie (jamie@mit.edu) and I
about it--we both think it is one of the best things we've decided to
do for service. A very "warm, fuzzy people-project" with NO cleaning
or laundry or surveys etc, and destruction is strictly frowned upon.
And there are shelters ALL over the place: Somerville, Cambridge,
Boston, Roxbury, Dorchester, etc etc etc. Even as far as the NH
border, I think, and they say they sometimes find affordable homes in
Connecticut if a recently back-on-her-feet mother wants to leave the
city.
Anyway, the training session is on the BU campus, so it is
very close and easy to get to. Again, call Ellen at 287-1900 and say
you are interested in the training sessions--or their make ups--on May
6 and May 13--or May 16.
Take care, in LFS,
Brad L.
