When you ask a five-year-old boy what they like to do for fun, what do you expect as an answer? Maybe, “Legos! I love legos!” or “Go to the park!” So many possibilities of what a happy five-year-old without a care in the world could yell out. But when I asked this question, I didn’t get an answer I wanted to hear, in fact I got an answer that flipped my life around.
I started volunteering at Kateri Day Camp, http://collieryouthserviceskateri.ss8.sharpschool.com/cms/One.aspx?portalId=776597&pageId=1676977 during the summer, children who attended this camp were disadvantaged and at risk youths in Monmouth County, NJ. I needed to get my community services hours for National Honor Society and I’ve always loved being around kids so I thought this would be a great experience. I left camp that summer with a lot more than community service hours. As I pulled up the windy road to arrive at the camp, I was fearful that my car would fly down the cliff that road alongside of me. The camp ground stood at the highest point in New Jersey. It was a camp dedicated to the outdoors. Large grass fields for the kids to play flag football or the girls to show each other their gymnastic tricks! The camp was surrounded by woods, the children would hike through the woods to the pond, where they could catch frogs.
On my first day of volunteering, I was assigned to work with group 4. Group 4 was boys of the ages five and six. Cute and innocent you would think…well not all of them. As soon as I had met all the boys in the group, I was immediately drawn to Dominique. Dominique was five and his face is imprinted in my memory. He had a round face, mocha toned skin, and beautiful blue eyes. He had curly hair that was cut short that you could barely see his curls. I wasn’t drawn to him because of how absolutely adorable he was, but because of his negative attitude. Every time he missed a basket in basketball, he would throw the ball. Every time one of his friend’s scored, he would also throw the ball. I decided to ask Dominique if he wanted to play a game of basketball with me. Although I was rejected multiple times by someone less half my age... I kept asking until he gave up and said yes to the game. Dominique shot the first basket and he missed, as I expected he went to throw the ball. I got to the ball before him and as I handed it to him I said, “It’s okay to miss, just try again”. So he shot the ball again and he made it. oo.
As we played the game, I made jokes to try to break through his exterior. It took a while but it began to work. He started shaking his head and smirking at the corny jokes I made. “You’re crazy,” he chuckled. Dominique could tell I was playing terribly for his entertainment, so he got a kick out of that too. For the remainder of that day, Dominique was attached to my hip. He followed me around everywhere. It seemed as if he just wanted attention. I found that under his rough exterior was a very sweet child with considerable potential. As a group, we headed over to the pool. Dominique sat down next to me instead of going swimming with the other kids. As volunteers and counselors we were not allowed to ask about the children's families because some of them were living in very poor conditions, but I wanted to get to know more about Dominique. I figured I would ask him a simple question, “what do you like to do for fun outside of camp?”. Dominique paused before answering. As he looked down at the grass he said, “I never do anything., I always want to go to the movies but no one ever wants to take me.” You don’t think of simple things like ‘going to see a movie’ as a privilege. Dominique’s words were so simple and innocent yet they made me realize how little some have. Not all kids are surrounded by loving family members who want to spend time with them. Dominique was simply a boy in need of attention, affection, and nurturing.
I volunteered at this camp twice a week all summer, and every day that I went I was put with a new group. I had wished I got to spend the entire summer with Dominique but they put volunteers where they needed help. Regardless of the group I was in for the day, I would walk over to group 4 and say hi to Dominique. Sometimes we had time for a one on one basketball game. I noticed improvements in Dominique’s behavior. The camp really did benefit him because he was surrounded by loving and caring people throughout the entire summer.
Having volunteered at this camp and having listened to the norms of these children, my perspective on life has changed. I learned not to take the simplest things in life for granted and to be grateful for everything that I do have. Realizing that not all children get to experience something as simple as a matinee movie or a one on one basketball game with a mentor is eye opening. Kateri Day Camp has inspired me to continue to work with and help children by offering them a loving, nurturing relationship outside of the environment in which they have grown up.