Path of Life: "Kids of Promise"

 

Written by Jacqueline Wong
Photo courtesy of the Honors Service Committee

 

On February 4th, the University Honors Service Committee held an event at the Path of Life Center called “Kids of Promise.” This event was organized in order to interact and connect with families residing in an emergency shelter. There, the Honors students volunteered themselves to play with and serve ice cream to the children, ranging from three to fourteen years olds. Service Committee chair, Keely Smith, said of the event that “all of the volunteers that I spoke with really enjoyed the event. It was fun to interact with the children because we could tell that they genuinely wanted us there. The students were touched that they could make such a positive yet simple impact on these kids' lives.” She said that the state of the families’ living situation was sad to see, and that the event made the volunteers realize how privileged they were. Yet the comfortable and easygoing atmosphere between the students and families helped a warm and welcoming environment where everyone just enjoyed each other’s company. This event was an important way to show support for these families amidst their unfortunate circumstances. Smith said that “it allowed us to understand what it is like to be a child in the situations that they found themselves in. We were also able to connect with the children and make them feel important because these college students wanted to interact with them.” Overall, Smith and the other volunteers agreed that this was an enriching experience to help out the Riverside Community.