"My wish is: Sunday Friends can always be
here every day. That's what friends are."
— Sunday Friends
Child
We
can best describe our Sunday Program by presenting a typical
day…
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Sunday
at 1:30: Activity begins when the doors of the Lowell
Elementary School cafeteria swing open for our children and parents.
Families start by helping Sunday Friends set up the day's projects.
With constant interaction among volunteers, children and parents, we
hit high gear. Children, assisted by moms and volunteers, make
fresh-squeezed orange juice. Kids and volunteers prepare and share
nutritious snacks.
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Busy,
creative hands produce crafts and artwork. Volunteers help children and
their parents write illustrated thank you letters to our donors. Small
ESL groups form. Individual piano lessons are frequently held.
Everywhere
you look you see children and parents receiving direction,
encouragement and reinforcement from well-trained and highly-motivated
volunteers. You hear laughter and you are apt to share in the hugs and
the smiles.
Through
the Afternoon: The families' participation in our activities
is rewarded. They earn tickets. The more they contribute, the more
tickets they earn. They learn that giving your best pays off. The
tickets they earn will be redeemed later in our on-site store, the
Treasure Chest, which is stocked with personal necessities, toys and
school supplies. Going shopping means making the most of the tickets
you have. Those shopping trips teach everyone in our families about
budgeting. Most families choose to use our Sunday Friends Bank, saving
their tickets over time to buy more expensive items.
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The
Home Stretch: Anticipation is high as families look forward
to shopping in the Treasure Chest. While families wait for their turns
to go shopping, children take part in playful educational games with
volunteers. Parents are part of Conversation Circles that help them
practice language skills. Learning and earning continue even as
shopping is proceeding. Skill development and supportive interaction
are also rewarded with tickets.
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When
their turn comes to shop, children and parents are escorted one-on-one
by volunteers into the Treasure Chest. The volunteers help their
shoppers withdraw their tickets from the Sunday Friends Bank and make
careful spending decisions. Parents and children learn financial
responsibility. Parents gain self-esteem as they provide for their
families through their own hard work. Children gain the confidence that
they can earn what they most want and need. They leave the Treasure
Chest carrying bags of treasures, beaming with joy.
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The
Payoff: Our families leave our program each Sunday with a
sense of self-reliance and family unity, having practiced full
participation and thoughtful decision making. Children have been gently
and lovingly guided by volunteers to express themselves fully, to
interact with others positively and to recognize and develop the gifts
they hold inside. We all discover that working together in community
— giving, receiving and growing — fosters hope. Our
families take home so much more than donated goods.
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