Over the weekend, I volunteered at the Family Reading Partnership's Kids Book Festival, which works to promote early literacy for young children.
My job for the day was to help out at an activity station in which children could enter into a fake grocery store in order to shop and learn about the importance of fresh vegetables and fruits. Sponsored by the Cornell plantations, the fruits and vegetables that were set-up allowed children to easily scan the aisles for items that matched the colored sticker on each of the five dollar bills they received. Once they finished picking out their five items, they took the fruits and vegetables and checked out at the cash register.
Although this task seems menial compared to past volunteer activities, it was a rather complicated task that involved good organization of the products, as well as efficient communication with my partner.
With about six volunteers at the station, it was difficult to hear and communicate with each other, especially with young children running around the market. One of the ways we became organized and performed our roles effectively was through a routine procedure in which two people worked with the children, four people helped out at the cash register, and two people who organized the aisles and filled them with fruits and vegetables.
As I worked with the children and explained to them and their families the directions to the activity, I learned that I truly have a passion for working with children. I found myself to be engaging and enthusiastic when it comes to taking care of children.
Through this activity, I have also learned that there are many different ways of classifying fruits. For instance, a member from the Cornell plantations explained that fruits come from seeds; thus, vegetables such as the corn kernels, cucumbers, tomatoes, and squash could also be known as fruits.
My experience at the book fair allowed me to realize the illiteracy issues that Tompkins County faces. I learned that there Tompkins County has several resources for low-come families, one of them being the Family Reading Partnership. Although people see the city of Ithaca as a small college town, many fail to recognize the social issues that plague the area. Volunteering with organizations that work to address specific issues help me develop an open-mind and become a person who is more aware of her surroundings.
This Service Saturday was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever participated in. Not only did I discover that I have a true passion in working with kids, but I also learned about an issue that will certainly cross my mind the next time I volunteer in Ithaca --- literacy. I think that tying in reading with other important components to a healthy mind, body, and spirit is a great way to teach young children to become academically, emotionally, and physically healthy from a young age. It is important to promote healthy lifestyles and have children develop a love for reading at an early age because healthy lifestyles allow them to develop critical and analytical skills to become successful students and citizens.
