Carving Pumpkins

Another exciting evening with the girls this past Monday!  I love holidays and making the most of them.
So over the past few weeks we have been getting ready for Halloween.  Last week we decorated masks, so the girls could were them on the 31st if they wanted, seeing that after the age of 13 they do not have the availablitiy to get a costume while they are in a group home.
This past Monday we carved pumpkins.  What an ooie gooie mess that was but a great time getting our hands dirty carving pumpkins.  While the seeds were baking we were carving.  Scary scenes, funny faces, one sided, oh wait some are two faced :-)  But the overall experience was enjoyable. 
Don't they look great?!

Do you have a favorite holiday tradition for Thanksgiving you would like to share?  How about Christmas? I would love to hear some and possibly use them with the girls.

Meeting the needs

One thing I like about what I do is the part where a need is connected with an answer. 
At the group home I meet at every week, 2 other volunteers have been coming to help with a need.
At first it was to help a young lady getting ready to turn 18 with a reading level of 4th grade.  This volunteer came and tutored this young lady until she went home.  Did that mean she stoppred coiming? Not at all, in fact she enjoyed coming so much that she helped with creative ideas of what to do when we are there every week.
recently, this volunteers' teaching skills and passions have been requested again by 2 new girls who have moved into the house.  The girls are excited to get help in the subjects they are struggling in and the teacher is excited because she is working with her passion.  It is a win win situation!!!

Do you have a skill you are passionate about and would like to share with a young person?
It is possible and I can help you get connected!  Just ask me how! shevaun@offcampusjams.org.

Is She Here Yet?

This past Monday, I was going to the same group home that I have been going to for over 2 years now. The girls have changed several times, as they age out of the system or get moved to a different house, or they leave.

But this Monday, I was reminded that my visits are important to those who are in the house.
They don't care what we do they just like that I come. It is something they can count on.

On this Monday, I arrive at the house a minute late and I ring the doorbell. On the other side I hear, "Shevaun is that you?", then "she's here" in anticipation.
As the door opens and I go thru the formalities of signing in, the girls share with me that "Sally" has been waiting and looking out the window waiting for me to arrive.
They have been waiting! They have no idea what we will be doing, but they are waiting.
Waiting for someone who cares for them. Who is there. "Sally" has only been in the house for 3 weeks and she already knows that I will be there!

These young people need more of us to stand up and just be there. We don't have to have all the answers, we just need to be there. Will you be one who can be there?

Want more information on how you can make a difference in a young persons life? contact me at shevaun@offcampusjams.org

Night on the Town

This week I had the opportunity to celebrate a birthday with a young lady from the group homes.
When I picked her up, I asked where she wanted to go. Her comment was, "I want spaghetti and meatballs". So the decision was made to go to the Old Spaghetti Factory. It was yummy and she got her spaghetti and meatballs, plus the salad and bread and of course the spumoni for dessert. She also learned where spaghetti came from, from a spaghetti tree all the way from Napoli, Italy. :-)
After dinner we headed over to Crackerjax for miniature golf and most importantly, go karts!
We had a great time celebrating her birthday, which was 2 months before.

The birthday plans may have been delayed, but that didn't matter to this young lady. what mattered is that I didn't forget what I said I would do and we went out to celebrate.

I am into the building of memories, that hopefully will stay with the young people I work with over the years. Memories that will remind them that people do care and not all of our life stinks!

This is why I do what I do!!!

Hot Summer Sundays

Sunday I paid a visit to a group home that is classified as a shelter. This home has 13 kids ranging in ages from 1 month to 7th grade. Some of the kids have been there for a while and call it home. Others have just arrived and appear to be in adjustment mode.

I stopped by to drop of some diapers and study workbooks for the kids in the home. I also had the privilege to hold the 1 month old while sitting and talking with a few other kids in the house.
With 13 kids, they were busy. What I learned was that a weekly event happened on Sundays, playing in the water in the back yard or should I say the mud :-). Some of the kids just wanted to get wet while others came and asked permission to get dirty. They slid down the slide into a puddle (or mini lake) of mud and then slide across the yard, which reminded me of good old times playing in the sprinklers during the summer. No pool was needed! Then as they got wet and cold they start coming into the house wanting to get warm, but are told to go warm up in the sun :-) Kids are kids where ever you go.

Memories with My Other Family

This week was Memorial Day weekend. I know it is a day to remember the soldiers who have fallen in the line of duty. i take the time now to thank these men and women who gave their lives for our freedom. I also would like to thank the families of these lost heroes. My prayers are with all of you this week.

For me Memorial Day has become a day were my "family" gets together for a picnic or BBQ. This year, I spent it with a part of my new family, the teen moms in a group home. When I arrived at the house, my little friend came to the door and was excitedly calling my name, I think we all look forward for me coming on Monday's. On this Monday we had a great day, swimming, and hanging out. To continue our exercise time, when I come, we did water aerobics in the pool. After the exercise was done we continued having fun, spraying each other, or at least trying to, with the fun noodles and having a blast! All of the sudden the girls star getting out the pool, they heard the "corn man's" horn and were on their way for his delicious corn. One of the young ladies bought corn for the house. It was my first time to try it and it was yummy! a mix of parmesan cheese, chili powder and lemon on sweet corn. YUMMY! After we all had our corn or mango we hung around out front enjoying our food in our suits and towels. It reminded me of when we used to run for the ice cream truck. New experiences!

Soon after, it was time to start dinner. I was so excited about getting my orange chicken mix in the mail that I planned to make dinner for the girls this Memorial Day. I started preparing the meal, then one by one each girl came up and started to help get dinner ready. Wanting to learn something new, or just be apart of something. Everyone helped out doing something, cutting broccoli, preparing the sauce mix, cooking rice, making drinks and setting the table. When dinner was ready we all sat down at the table to eat dinner together. What a great day!

After dinner, the girls were reminded where they live by having to do their chores. they don't get a break just because it is a holiday. Daily they have to do the dishes, sweep and mop floors, clean the bathrooms and take out all the trash. they never know when there will be an inspection, so they have to always be ready.

Another memorable Monday, building family memories to last a long time, that is why I do what I do!

Decisions

There is a lot of different things going on in my head about a young lady, who I will call Beth, who lives at a teen mom group home that I visit on Mondays.

Beth is soon to turn 18 and she has some decisions to make. What does she want to do? Where does she want to live? Does she want to stay at the home she is now? Deep down she wants to finish her education and at the same time move back in with her mom and get her child back. What she doesn't realize that, if she takes advantage of the programs available to her, she might have a better chance making it in the world around her.

Right now the system has failed her. She is 17 and is struggling with reading and writing. Where do they have her in school, in a life skills class and job training. She is not receiving help with her reading and writing skills, which is one of the things she needs. She has a ways to go and needs a lot of help that I believe she will not get at home. she will one of those statistics that prove we are so needed.

I struggle with what needs to happen next. I can help with her reading and spelling skills on a limited basis. I can try and help her see long term consequences to her choices today. It is times like these that I wish I was able to get a hold of her when she first arrived in the system. It is because of young people like this that we are involved. this is why we do what we do!

Beth is one out of 10,000 foster kids here in Arizona. All needing attention, all needing some one who will care and try to make changes. Will you be one to help bring change?