Only the beginning...

Hello!

Our final day together was Friday. And I must say, I think it was a spectacular end to the week. We began the day with a guest speaker. Her name is Bernadette Reid and she works at the Home for Little Wanderers. She was fantastic. I think she really opened the group's eyes to realize how many children are struggling right here in Massachusetts. You don't have to travel to a third world country to work with children who may have been in horrible living situations. Children suffer from domestic violence, neglect and sexual exploitation right here in the U.S. It's a frightening thought but it's a reality. I think the group really enjoyed listening to her. We applauded her at the end and she said we were the ones who deserve the applause since we've been volunteering. But her job and our job goes hand in hand. We need more and more people to join forces to solve social issues. So whether it's your full time job or you're volunteering, every little bit helps.

We headed to South Boston for our last day with thee kiddos! We cleaned the first floor of BGCB to help them prepare for the road race. We wiped down tables and chairs and cleaned the windows. The kids finally arrived and were full of energy. There was a dance planned at BGCB that evening so the kids were very excited. I have so much respect for all of the staff members at the Boys and Girls Club. They work so hard to make sure those kids (about 300 of them) have a safe and happy place to go after school. The Boys and Girls Club is truly a community and I know it has taken the hard work and dedication to make it that way. Although it was tough to leave after being there for a week, I am so happy that we had the chance to be a part of this community. We were welcomed with open arms and were made to feel that we had helped to make a difference.

I am so proud of the Boston group. Not only did we help the Boys and Girls Club, we formed a bond with each other that we'll carry long after spring break. I met 11 wonderful women this week. I hold them in the highest regard and am so happy I have learned so much about them. We learned that we are all different in many ways, but our commonalities are what brought us together.

We helped the Boys and Girls Club this week but they, in turn, helped us. I couldn't have asked for a better week with a more wonderful group of people.

Sarah