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The notion of caring about others to repair the world is fundamental to Judaism. In her volunteer application 14 years ago, Judy Wasserman, told us this principle had been instilled in her by her parents. When her youngest child left for college, she found herself with an empty nest. Her daughter had volunteered with TCP’s Summer Swim program, so TCP was the place where Judy thought she could give the love she had to share. She saw herself coming in as a loving grandmother, rocking babies and reading to children. Her first day in the classroom was an eye opening experience that has stayed with her for 14 years.
She quickly learned that while the kids here desperately needed the love she had to give, many were so closed off that they needed a lot of healing before they could receive it. Judy still tells the stories of the children she met that first day…the little girl in a fetal position who wouldn’t talk to anyone, the little boy who had too much to say and cursed at her when she spoke to him. She’ll tell you that she’s seen all kinds of kids in her years in the classroom and is honest in saying it was hard in the beginning. Seeing children so hurt and broken, they were just shells of what a child should be.
But she kept coming back because she recognized that TCP was “a place of miracles.” She’s worked with a number of teachers over the years, with different personalities and teaching styles, but they all had one thing in common – patience. It takes a lot of it to meet the needs of children who have both been through and require so much. And that little girl in the fetal position, from Judy’s first day? She left TCP with all the self-confidence and restored potential one little girl needs, declaring herself the “Queen of the Playground” as she ran about smiling and laughing.
Read another Story about Volunteers that Care
To join Judy as a classroom volunteer contact the Community Outreach Coordinator at communityoutreach@tcpkc.org or (816) 363-1898.
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