A Silent Song 4
May 26th, 2009 by ComputerBob
Regular visitors to this site know that I work as a full-time volunteer for a local domestic violence center and shelter. I serve as a legal advocate, care for groups of preschool to teenage children during their mothers’ DV support groups, configure donated PCs to make them safe and secure for survivors to use in their homes, scan and burn CDs of survivors’ Safety Plan documents, pick up and deliver donated food from a local restaurant to the DV center and shelter, and do whatever else anyone at the DV center or shelter needs me to do.
Last Tuesday night, I was helping take care of 15 children while their mothers attended a support group, just as I’ve done every Tuesday night since last fall. Several months ago, I started a weekly story time, when I’d read a book out loud to them, while acting out the various characters’ roles and doing all of the funny voices. Last Tuesday, they got a big kick out hearing the story of Walter The Farting Dog, especially since we had four large therapy dogs visiting us at the time.
I always look forward to story time, because I was an avid reader as a child, so I’d like to instill a love of books into as many children as possible.
I’m already seeing the fruits of my efforts.
A few months ago, the children eagerly stood in line, waiting to pick out one book apiece from a variety of donated books that I had brought for them — a book that they could keep — as a reward for being good that night.
Every week since then, I’ve brought that ever-changing box of books, and every week, a small group of children has reminded me when it’s time for me to let them pick out a book. Or two. Or three.
For the past several weeks, a few older children have asked for a turn to read a story out loud to the whole group.
Last Tuesday, when the evening’s activities had wound down, it was time to dim the lights and for the whole group to sit on the floor and quietly watch The Flintstones movie.
But, across the room, four little girls didn’t care about the movie.
They were busy sitting around a little table, reading story books to themselves and to each other.
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Tags:
Domestic Violence, Inspirational, Personal, Survivors