YAY! This month we get to celebrate Kailey! Kailey joined the SPAN volunteer team in October 2013 as a Children’s Volunteer and has been rocking her role ever since! Erin, our children’s volunteer manager caught up with Kailey to congratulate her on being awesome and to interview her. See below to learn more about all things Kailey.
What do you love about working with kids? So what do I love about working with kids? Kids are the most pure form of human beings. When I think about the mind of a child I think of how they probably haven’t yet had the opportunity to form doubts, fears or judgements; they still have a clean slate. With the kids we work with at SPAN, who have been exposed to violence or trauma, that isn’t always the case but you can still find that sentiment. I absolutely love working with the kids because of their creativity, energy and excitement they have. For me, there are very few things that are more fulfilling than making a kid truly laugh or seeing their confidence grow as we play.
What was your favorite thing about being a kid? My favorite thing about being a kid was all the silly games I got to play. I could be whoever I wanted wherever I wanted. Little did my neighbors know that when they saw me in the backyard mashing up leaves with a rock, they were actually looking at a nice witch making potions for the animals in her fairy garden. I also had a pet tree. His name was Joe.
If you were an animal, what would you be and why? If I were an animal I would probably be a dolphin. I’m not a good swimmer, but I am fascinated by the ocean so it would be pretty cool to be able to swim really well, live in the ocean and still have a family that you’re close with.
Who do you most admire? It’s hard to give just one name, for who I admire most, but there is one person who really stands out to me right now and it’s actually a kid I worked with through SPAN. This kid was a constant source of laughter, positive energy and light and I know I am not the only person that would say this about him. I admire him for his strength and kindness and I find myself thinking of him when I need inspiration or a good laugh. I feel so incredibly lucky to have met this kid and to have learned as much as I did from him in such a short time.
We feel so lucky to have Kailey on our volunteer team! Kailey’s creativity and dedication to SPAN families and kiddos shines through in everything she does. We couldn’t do what we do without volunteers like Kailey. THANK YOU!!!