Every Thursday at 3:55 I leave the office early for the highlight of my week. I volunteer with a program for high school kids that teaches them life skills through cooking. They are not only learning how to measure and chop; they also learn to share, make decisions, organize and to lead.
Although my day job helps children, I never see the kids we help. In fact I don't want to see them. Having to deal with kids everyday is not for me. However, once a week for two hours that I can do. All the kids are really sweet and not assholes in the way I think of DC teenagers. They still try to show bravado but at the end of the day they all love coming to class. Attendance is dropping now but going there two days a week can be a big commitment.
It's so fulfilling for me and I hope the kids are getting something out of it. They learn to try new things every week and none of them know how to cook. So far we've covered baking with Sweet Potato Biscuits as the highlight. This week they just started using knifes and the collard greens were pretty good. All the kids are inner city youth of color so I'm glad to be doing my part. I think it's good for them to see that I've moved across the country and that I went to college because many of them may not. So hopefully they like me and I'm a role model for them. So if you have just a little bit of time in your day please find a way to give back to others.
3 comments:
It's great that you actually take the time to do something in the community. I wish more people would.
Great!
There is nothing better than watching a kid soak up every thing you do and say, and then get inspired to do great things. That's one of the reasons, teaching is one of the most rewarding professions
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