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Name:
Karen Conley
Assignment:
Day Treatment Services program, Toddler 1 Classroom
How long have you been volunteering at The Children's Place:
One Year
 Why do you volunteer at The Children's Place?
I volunteer at The Children's Place because I like to work with small children and was looking for a place where I could work directly with children. Here, I'm able to make a difference, not because I have any special sort of expertise, but because I can free up the teachers to do what they do best. Of course, working with the kids themselves is a blast.
Describe one of your favorite Children’s Place moments?
Recently, a Speech Therapy activity in Toddler 1 involved real, live worms. It was wonderful - and so entertaining - to watch each child respond to these dirty, wriggling, harmless creatures. Each child had a reaction that was utterly unique. Fortunately, no worms were eaten by the kids!
What makes The Children's Place special, and a great place to volunteer?
I know this may sound like a cliché, The Children's Place is special because the children who come there are so special. They need the everything the agency provides, but we get so much from them, too. For me, it has been the perfect place to volunteer, because it offered the kind of work I was hoping to do and it's close to my home. In addition, you can work one (or more!) morning a week, so the time commitment is very manageable. It was also very important to me to receive both initial and on-going training, so you really can feel that you are doing the right kinds of things, and being a positive contributor.
If you had one wish for the kids you work with each week what would it be?
I would wish for these kids a lifetime full of adults who are as caring and supportive as the staff at The Children's Place.
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