Week 7- Community Service

So I complete misinterpreted this assignment I thought we had to find a location to volunteer at by this point not complete it.  I do still plan to complete my original idea which is to volunteer at the Santa Clarita Community Center to gain an avenue to in turn complete my final project which would involve the children of this community center.  However I didn't wasn't to come empty handed so I started thinking about what I could talk about. I came up with this, My girlfriend is a occupational therapist and treats children with special needs. Raising a child is hard enough and consumes all parents time already, raising a child with special needs makes that task even harder due to the child's complications. Every year her out patient clinic offers a "parent night out" which provides a free four hour open gym(not for treatment more like a special needs daycare) in which all parents that have children that are seen by the therapists at the clinic can come drop there kids off, all of them, those seen and other children they have, to allow them a break and a special night for themselves. All of which is of no charge which to put into perspective a half hour section with a therapist costs in the hundreds of dollars.  Because there are only so many therapists and there are SOOO many kids they ask for friends and family that are good with children to come out and lend a hand.  I have no clinical training in this other than what I received as an EMT when I was a firefighter so my sole occupation in this situation was a play toy. Which might I add was awesome. I feel that me volunteering was more of a learning platform for me than what I could provide for the kids. What I mean by this is that for me to be able to communicate with these kids I have to find a way to engage them on there level. It was like a practice of explain an idea for a design 50 different ways but coming to the same conclusion. It made me think outside the box in how to relate to someone with a different perspective. Also I love playing with these kids they are wacky. And when the parents come back they look so rejuvenated that it makes the whole thing worth while.