Volunteer Spotlight

Steve and Devon

Steve began volunteering with A Child’s Place after retiring two years ago. Steve is a humble man who just wanted to give back to the community he feels has given him so much. Devon was a shy, but thoughtful fourth grader who lacked confidence and walked with a limp.  He badly needed a friend and confidant. Steve fit that need perfectly.

At first it was a small relationship – one lunch, one hour, one day a week.  Two years later it is several days, multiple hours and so much more than lunch.

Now, in the fifth grade Devon walks down the hall with confidence, his limp barely noticeable beneath the optimism, generosity and determination he exhibits every day.  Devon’s grades and attendance have improved along with his overall attitude.

When asked about Steve he said, “He asks me good questions, he’s good all the time, he’s cool… because, he’s just cool. He helps me with reading and math, he can change my feelings when I’m mad by talking to me. I would be sad and cry if he didn’t visit me anymore. I love him.”

Steve became more than a volunteer: a role model, a mentor, someone Devon wanted to imitate in his own actions. Devon taught Steve what a difference it can make to have just one person believe in you, help you achieve your dreams and encourage you to follow your aspirations.

Will and Davon

Davon is an 8th grade client of A Child’s Place. He is shy at first but he is very outgoing once he gets to know you. He enjoys sports and is determined in his education. Recognizing he was struggling in certain subjects, Davon asked his ACP student liaison for a tutor. Will came to ACP after his wife began volunteering with us. Will has helped improve Davon’s grades and prepare him for high school next year.

When the 3rd quarter grades came in Davon improved in all areas except one and did not make any grade lower than a C. He said Will has been a lot of help to him and he's happy to have him as a tutor. Davon could not stop smiling after seeing his grades and asked his student liaison to send Will an email about his grades and thank him right away.

Sarah and Justin

Sarah is an ACP volunteer working with a little boy in kindergarten named Justin. For the past two months, Justin has been extremely shy and hard to connect with. Sarah usually ended up doing all the talking when she visited. However, one day recently, Sarah went to see Justin and decided to go back to class with him after lunch to help him with his letter recognition. After working with him for almost an hour, Sarah got ready to leave. As she walked toward the door, a small voice called out, "Ms. Sarah, wait!" When she turned around, Justin ran up and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you. Are you going to come back?" Fighting tears, she promised him she would be back next Monday. Sarah said she had no idea she was even making a difference in Justin’s life since he was so quiet, shy, and hardly spoke during their time together. In that moment, she learned that her presence was the biggest gift she could give to Justin.