My Volunteer Experience

By Lindsay Sparks
We asked Lindsay to share about her volunteer experience with our Trauma Focused Services, which gives foster and adopted children a way to begin the healing process. Lindsay helps out with the monthly therapeutic play group.


"I remember the first time I showed up for group.  I wasn't completely sure what the structure of the group would be, just that CCFI needed more volunteers.  The first day was a nice summer day and the kids were outside playing games.  They were playing with balloons and water hoses and all sorts of fun summer kid games.

As the months have passed, I've gotten a chance to see how the group allows for the kids to freely express themselves in a healthy way.  They learn new ways to cope with their past experiences creatively through music and dancing, or in their art class by building, molding, drawing, and crafting.  What works for one child many not work for the other because we are all unique individuals.

During the course of the breakout session we have only an idea of what we want to accomplish, but the children may change the whole course of what we do, but only because we allow room for creativity.  Every month we make sure the kids are all offered the chance to go to music group.  This is my favorite part of volunteering.  The little ones all come in and we sing the same song when they walk in every time.  In that, there is a little bit of consistency, but we also allow for variety.

If they want to run around and flap wings like a bird while we sing a song about birds, that is acceptable, if they want to play and sing London Bridges six times instead of two so they all get a chance to be "locked up," they we do that.  To see the kids smile and really enjoy letting loose and being creative and learning from each other is what my volunteer experience has been about."

- Lindsay Sparks