Meet Jania. She is a member of MCC’s Edgies Teen Center and lives nearby. She’s decided to spend her summer volunteering in one of our Early Childhood Classroom’s, and quickly was loved by both the students and teachers. Jania has volunteered 100+ hours this summer. Read about the experience in her own words.
My role as a volunteer is to work with the small world and starlight pre-kindergarten students during the summer and also help the teachers as well. I entertain and play with the children as well as educated them in a fun way. My volunteer work consists of supervising children, playing with them, reading to them an answering there many questions due their curious brains.
To me, volunteering in is a way to give back to your community and is also a way to help and lead others. When you volunteer, not only do you help others, but you inspire others to want to help people as well. When I volunteer I feel proud of myself and happy that I can do something valuable with my time that can also benefit others as well. And when I see the smile on a child’s face, it makes a day of volunteering all worth it.
I was so grateful to be able to get this opportunity. I gained so much from being in the position that I was placed in. Most volunteer jobs require you to be 16 years old or older but this job gave me a chance to gain not only a way to help and lead others, but gain experience in my youth. I learned so much during the course of this summer. I learned behaviors of children and how to react and interact with each an every of their many unique personalities. I’m so glad and thankful for all the things that I have learned I know that I will be able to use this knowledge and experience in the future.
Volunteers are integral to the work we do at Manny Cantor Center, our spotlight series provides an opportunity to share the stories of why community members volunteer, what they gain from the experience, and the impact they are able to make. Thank you to all who choose to come through our doors to help build the community we want to live in.
If you are interested in volunteering with us here at Manny Cantor Center, we have opportunities available for a variety of schedules and interests. Learn more about serving at MCC.