Growing up in the 21st century, volunteer work has become a very important aspect of our generation. Whether it be required or by choice, it is bound to happen eventually for each individual. Many students are required to do a specific number of hours of volunteer work in order to graduate. Most take part begrudgingly because they do not want their diploma to be sacrificed due to their laziness, but some actually enjoy the feeling of doing good for their community. I was unlike most high school students and took the service hours very seriously and went overboard with my volunteering hours. I craved the feeling I got after helping others within my city and looked forward to seeing the genuine smile on someone’s face after doing a simple act of kindness. Growing up, my parents have always expressed the importance of helping others and instilled it into my life as well as my morals. Whether it be doing a small act for a stranger or participating in large events created specifically with others in mind, volunteering and caring for others has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.
Once I got into high school, I knew that I needed to partake in a club that was based on volunteering right away. That is when I was introduced to the club that changed my life, SHAPE. The major purpose of SHAPE was to participate in fundraisers and events that benefited one specific cause each year. By being in SHAPE for the duration of high school, I changed in ways that I never thought a club could do. I learned how much a s ingle action can truly change someone’s life and I took what was given to me so much for granted before I took part in this program. One of my fondest memories was my senior year when I went with my friends to a preschool that took in abused and neglected children. It was Halloween and we dressed them up as their favorite characters and painted their faces. One of the little girls pulled me aside and whispered in my ear, “Thank you so much for what you do, I am so happy when you come to play with me.” Not only did this bring me to tears, but I knew that I changed this young girl’s life and that I must continue doing volunteer work after I graduated.
My volunteer work in high school inspired me to take part in a program that a mutual friend introduced me to called Place of Hope. Place of Hope is a philanthropy that offers family-style foster care to provide nurturing environments for the children who are brought in to prosper. It started in 1998 because of a mission trip to Russia where those who traveled witnessed Russian orphans in terrible living conditions, unable to find a home (Place of Hope, Inc.). Place of Hope is unique for many reasons. They try to keep families together and will never separate them like many ordinary foster units and it is also strictly volunteer based. Over 100 volunteers give their time to Place of Hope and that number is constantly increasing. These volunteers represent the backbone of this organization and by offering their time for this good cause, have a large impact on the children’s lives.
I started volunteering there this past summer because a friend of mine invited me to an event they were having for one of the girls who was about to leave Place of Hope. Her name was Veronica. I was fairly nervous because I can get uncomfortable in situations where I do not know anyone. Little did I know that it was a graduation party with all of the families there to celebrate Veronica’s accomplishments. I learned from my friend that graduating high school at Place of Hope is a very big deal because many of these children were expected to drop out of high school and end up like their parents. At the graduation party I had the opportunity to talk to Veronica and she expressed how grateful she was that she was able to be a part of Place of Hope because without it she would have never come this far or left high school with a job to support herself. In the interview with Denise Day, she expressed the same thing saying that the purpose of the program is to set up the children for success in whatever way the volunteers and staff can. The rest of the interview she described the goals and missions of Place of Hope and how they plan on impacting our community. That same night I talked to Denise about how I wanted to get involved with Place of Hope and asked when I could start volunteering. This is how my journey at Place of Hope began.
When I interviewed Denise, she helped give me a better perspective on what Place of Hope stands for. Since I was in Tallahassee, I had a Facetime call with her on Monday, February 19th. She was sitting at her dining room table put together in a coral colored blouse, pearl studs, and a low ponytail. She had a huge smile on her face when I called and she told me I was the first person to be interested enough to ask her about Place of Hope. Eager to start, I began asking her question about Place of Hope. The first question I asked was “How did you get involved in Place of Hope?” Her response was similar to my experience in beginning my adventures in Place of Hope. Denise then told me about how one of her daughter’s friend’s parents spoke to her about a fundraiser they were having at a country club she belonged to (Day). She went to the fundraiser just with the intentions of helping the cause and maybe meeting a couple of people in order to expand her network and social circles. She said the minute she got there and learned about the background for Place of Hope, she was hooked and wanted to do everything she could to help out. I then followed up by asking how her contributions have changed from the beginning of her time volunteering in comparison to now. She continued by saying that lately she has actually been able to interact with the children and families there, learning more about each of them on a personal level. She said that she also helps coordinate and plan events for fundraising such as parties, galas, and celebrations for the families. What she does relates a lot to my volunteer work for Place of Hope because I have helped set up some of the celebrations as well met a couple of the families and cooked dinner with them. I then asked her “What do you think the purpose of Place of Hope is?” She answered me by telling me a story about a certain girl in the system. Denise told me how this specific girl came to Place of Hope after being in a very abusive household and was very closed off and shy because she was scared that everyone would be like her past household. Eventually, as the girl’s time in Place of Hope continues, she began to warm up and talk more. Denise said that now this girl got into college and her first job this past year. I followed up by asking how this relates to the cause and Denise said that the main goal of Place of Hope is to help troubled children become confident, successful adults who can contribute to society and know how to take care of themselves.
Denise helped me get in touch with the person that is in charge of all of the volunteers, Sophia Dolcine, so they could give me activities to help out with. When I called her to coordinate when I should attend, I asked what my duties as a volunteer would entail. Sophia had a very long list of things I was able to do. She said there are mentoring jobs but since I will be leaving for college I should not commit to a child, but I should help out with tutoring, cooking meals, as well as organizing their office and clothing drives. She explained to me that I would be coming into contact with the children and they may come off as shy because it takes them a long time to open up to new volunteers so I will be accompanied by an Angel Mom. Sophia elaborated and told me that Angel Moms are type of volunteer with a slightly higher status because they are more involved in and out of the Place of Hope campus. Inside campus, they are always with the kids and organizing events like brunches, parties, and fundraisers. This program inside Place of Hope was created in December of 2012 with a vision of having a talented group of women extend the mission of Place of Hope (Angel Moms). They have three specific duties as Angel Mom’s; create an awareness for Place of Hope in their community, raise financial support, and have hands on involvement with the kids by helping out when they can. These Angel Moms differ from volunteers because they are allowed to interact with the children on a daily basis while normal volunteers can only see them at events or when invited. The Angel Mom’s also have regular meetings to discuss things that they can further do or improve on in their areas of work. These differ from normal volunteers because they typically put in extra hours in and outside of Place of Hope and are more dedicated on a regular basis.
Before I started to volunteer, Denise asked me to join her at the fifth annual Angel Mom Brunch to get a better idea of what Angel Mom’s do. When I arrived at the brunch, it was beautifully decorated with fresh white linen table cloths and baby blush pink accents throughout the room. I soon found Denise and she introduced me to the Angel Mom executive board who run the rest of the Angel Mom committee. I asked Denise what the purpose of these brunches are, and she explained to me that the way Place of Hope raises money is by people sponsoring them and paying for tickets to these events. She said that this is one of the main priorities as an Angel Mom, to help Place of Hope raise money for the children. The Angel Moms had many activities planned for us and the children to do. Since it was around Easter time, I had the chance to have an Easter egg hunt with the kids and have an egg toss. Once we all came back inside, Tim Tebow’s mom, Pam Tebow, spoke to us about raising funds for nonprofits and shared her passionate thoughts on how encouraging women to strive for their best leads to the most successful life. In total, the brunch raised over $7,000 for Place of Hope.
That same weekend it was my first day to start volunteering and Sophia had me tutoring two of the younger children, Sarah and Jacob, in subjects they were struggling with. Denise joined me since she is an Angel Mom and knew the children I was helping. I tutored each of them for about an hour in the subject they needed but they came off super shy, as Sophia had told me earlier. But after their tutoring I had the opportunity to talk to them for about half an hour to learn more about them. Sarah was the first to start to open up to me and she told me about all of her favorite things like horseback riding and swimming. I also learned that she has been in Place of Hope since she was two years old. She was nine when I was with her. After Jacob started to open up a little more, although still hesitant. I learned that he loved to play frisbee and watch the Ninja Turtles. After I said goodbye, Denise told me more about their childhood and how they ended up in Place of Hope and it is devastating. Although it was sad to hear about the kids tragic pasts, I was fortunate enough to learn more about Place of Hopes program and how it will target success for kids like Sarah and Jacob.
Place of Hope is not like an ordinary foster care. First the children are put into beautiful mini-homes on a large campus. The campus is a very unique place. When you first walk into the main building and office, it does not resemble a typical office but is very homey and has entertainment rooms, a beautiful dining room, and even a little store. As you continue through the campus you walk outside to an open courtyard surrounded by palm trees and brightly colored buildings. Each building is a different home for each separate family. When you walk inside any of the “homes”, they are constructed as real homes with a large living room, kitchen, and many bedrooms. This is distinctive because many average foster care programs have children go into a previously established family and home. Place of Hope is remarkable in that they have children with similar experiences live and interact with each other, able to learn and look upon each other. They are constantly surrounded by the staff and people who are happy to be there for them. Each home also has a house mom who lives with them and takes care of them while they stay at Place of Hope. This is very important because the kids have a constant support system from not only the volunteers but become very close with the house mom and depend on her for support. This is different than regular foster care because typically children are put with a random family and are often separated from their siblings. The people at Place of Hope the great value of family and will always try to keep a family together, so they will see each other succeed and prosper in the program. Aside from the sense of family, Place of Hope gives children a much larger chance of succeeding after their time there because the staff and volunteers try to give them as many opportunities as possible (Place of Hope Inc.). They help them get their license, a first job, and even tutors if they need help with any subject. The work that is done for these children is truly exceptional.
Place of Hope has changed my perception on my own life by showing me I should never take anything for granted. Thankfully I was given this incredible experience that also showed me how volunteering is truly one of the most fulfilling acts a person can take part in. I can’t picture my life without volunteering and I owe that all to my high school experience in SHAPE and my ongoing journey in Place of Hope.