KidWorks Blog
When KidWorks youth think spring break plans, it’s not a sunny vacation they are planning for. They are thinking about the long awaited “Campus Crash” week which is a key part of KidWorks College Success Initiative. Campus Crash is designed to expose students to a real – life college experience that instills in them the belief and motivation that college can be their reality.
Resolve. One definition of the word is to “decide firmly on a course of action.
Our resolve is stronger than ever to make 2019 the most beneficial experience possible for the hundreds of students and families we serve at KidWorks.
Another variation of the word resolve is resolution.
With 2019 now fully underway, we’d like to share our very own KidWorks’ 2019 New Year’s Resolutions:
When a tenth grade boy recently told university student and KidWorks volunteer Brianna Carter that his career goal in life was to become a fast food worker, she instantly knew God was asking her to intervene.
Our January 2019 Volunteer of the Month, Brianna Carter deeply values education and has clear career goals herself.
“I want to be an astrophysicist.” “I want to be a biomedical engineer.” “I want to be a gastroenterologist.” “I want to be a computer systems software developer.” “I want to be a mathematician.”
Those aren’t exactly the words you’re likely to hear from the young students enrolled in our state-licensed preschool, but we plant the seeds for meaningful careers at the earliest possible opportunity. And that focus continues as they walk with us through high school graduation and on to college.
Six years ago, professional musician Joe Cristina had a conversation with himself. He asked, “How does a Christian artist, musician and person of faith function in the secular world and make an impact and grow in their faith?”
Our December 2018 KidWorks “Volunteer of the Month” heard God’s answer, and he hasn’t slowed down since.
It’s not surprising that many of our students already have clear ideas about the majors they’d like to pursue in college and the meaningful careers they envision for themselves. PIMCO, one of the world’s premier fixed income investment managers, has been an amazing KidWorks partner who is committed to helping our students achieve those dreams.
Julissa Velasco--our October 2018 “Volunteer of the Month—may still be finishing up college, but you’d think she has had decades of teaching experience when you see her skillfully tutoring students enrolled in our afterschool programs
That’s because Julissa has for years made it a point to volunteer with tutoring programs offered in Santa Ana, where she’s lived most of her life. That includes the elementary school she attended as a child.
Cheri Chan, our valued September 2018 “Volunteer of the Month” smiles each time she hears our teachers gently but firmly call our students to attention. Cheri—like many of our volunteers—just can’t get enough of KidWorks.
In fact, she doubles her fun by volunteering at not just one of our centers, but two: The Cedar Evergreen and Townsend satellite locations, which are embedded in locations where most of our students live just steps away from homework help.
For Hong Kong born Keng Go, the arrival of the Chinese Lunar New Year is always a time of great celebration with family and friends. Those friends now include second, third and fourth graders enrolled in our after school programs.
That’s because during the last occurrence of this holiday, our August “Volunteer of the Month” took time to explain the cultural significance to our students.
When you support KidWorks, you help develop the next generation of chief executive officers, doctors, engineers, teachers, scientists, bankers and entrepreneurs, just to name a few.
That’s because KidWorks programs are designed not only to promote sustained academic success, but also to develop the employees and leaders of tomorrow. We partner with businesses who help us understand the skills and training they are looking for once our students are ready to enter the work world.
The same magic that happens each day at our main Dan Donahue Center also occurs at each of our three satellite centers. These locations—Bishop Manor, Cedar Evergreen and Townsend—are strategically located in underserved neighborhoods.
While these satellite centers are smaller in square footage than our main center, they have just as significant a positive impact on our students. Just ask Nancy Udave, our July “Volunteer of the Month.”
Nancy has been volunteering at our Bishop Manor center for two full school semesters and plans to continue when the new school year starts in the fall. She makes time to help out while also attending California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Like us, Nancy recognizes the vital work that’s accomplished at each KidWorks satellite center.
“The Bishop Manor center is unique because you get to see how this community comes together to help one another,” she says. “I enjoy volunteering at this center not only because it’s located around the area I grew up as a kid, but also because of how close-knit this community is. These children see one another as family rather than just another classmate.”
She adds, “I’ve lived in Santa Ana my entire life, and I’m so grateful to finally being able to give back to my community, knowing that I’m helping children achieve a brighter future brings me happiness,” Nancy says.
Nancy says, “I am filled with joy knowing that I am making a difference in a child’s life by simply helping him or her with homework or drawing outside with chalk. Volunteering is much more than only an opportunity; we can each also make it a priority in our lives to make changes in our community to help the children in need. There’s nothing more fulfilling than to see the children raising their hand in excitement to get help from a KidWorks volunteer.”
Brizzy Cruz, Bishop Manor’s site director, sees Nancy’s positive impact first hand.
“Nancy has been a great assent to Bishop Manor,” Brizzy says. “She takes the initiative in tutoring students and looks for ways to keep children focused on their work. She is also the sweetest person and brought cupcakes for our students to enjoy at our end of the year party and Christmas party last year. She also encourages students to try new games, plays board games and interacts during sports time.”
Nancy tells a story that perfectly illustrates how a few hours volunteering at KidWorks after school programs is so appreciated by our students:
“I was walking into the center and going straight to the fifth grade table to help with their homework. I usually sit in the middle of the table to be able to help all the children around me. One student asked, ‘Ms. Nancy, what days are you here?’ I answered two days out of the week and his response was, ‘I wish you were here every day to help us. I like you being here.’ I realized that I domake a difference in each of the children’s’ lives even if it’s just having someone there to talk to or saying ‘hi’ to them.”
At the Cal State Dominguez Hills, Nancy is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Human Services. “My career goal is to establish my myself in an agency as a social worker for neglected children,” she says. “I also currently work at Smile Brands Inc. as a supervisor for patient financing.”
Nancy expresses what so many of our volunteers discover when she says, “KidWorks has been such a great fit for me.”
We feel the same way about you, Nancy!
By Glenn Leibowitz, volunteer writer
KidWorks alumnus shares how KidWorks prepared her for college success. She recently graduated with a Master's in social work from USC and is ready to take on the world. To learn more about KidWorks please visit our website https://kidworksoc.org/collegesuccess/
Our dedicated volunteers come from near and far—but June “Volunteer of the Month” Nicolei Gupit may outdistance everyone. Over the several years she’s been a volunteer, Nicolei has lived in the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan (where she’s now resides, teaching elementary, middle and high school students) while she still volunteers for KidWorks.
