VOA Field Day -- bright eyed and bushy tailed

My name is Sydney Featherstone, I am a senior Business Management major and it is March 11th only day two of serving on alternative spring break. However, in these two days we have accomplished so much and I have learned so much about the communities we have served. I have learned that the organizations we are volunteering with are a strong force within each community whether through beautifying the city or nurturing children's minds. It is so much positivity in these cities it's amazing. Serving with Travis Lighthouse Center --Volunteers of America today, we helped to create a "grammatical system", by cutting and labeling cards that will teach them how to properly use grammar. This system will allow the student to grow their knowledge of grammar and will increase in difficulty for at least five years, allowing them to be proficient in this area up until middle school. The work was really tedious, duplicating five years of curriculum, yeah it is not easy! Through that time I was able to talk with my team and the VOA team; I learned they do a tremendous amount for the community and students because they want them to prosper. They even have places were the old lighthouse kids can do their laundry and they provide their students with a community garden and more. But the project became even more special when we got to interact with the children, we were able to do homework help and a field day. The field day was so fun, playing games like kickball, sponge race, and etc., I probably had more fun than they did. But, it was special to me because I don't know how often they get to participate in activities like that. All of them looked so happy for us to be there, I hope even for the few hours I got to spend with them I impacted them in some way.