Congratulations to Narcisco, SPAN’s November volunteer of the month!
Nar came to us in the fall 2015, attended our 44-hour paraprofessional training and became a children’s volunteer. Narcisco has been an awesome addition to our Children’s program – he often takes on extra shifts and jumps in to engage the kiddos immediately as they arrive. We are so thrilled to have Nar on the SPAN volunteer team! Keep reading to learn more about all things Nar…
- What keeps you busy when you’re not volunteering at SPAN? I spend my days working in IT for a research and consulting firm in Boulder. Working as a kids’ volunteer at SPAN is fulfilling in a way that my day job could never be. I also work with kids in foster care through the CASA programs of both Boulder and Denver county. In my spare time I clean up cat and dog fur around the house and enjoy playing the piano (badly). Not long ago I met someone that makes my heart swell. Last month I married her.
- What made you want to become a volunteer here? I think there are few things worth doing that are more valuable than simply helping out someone else. There’s a lot of suffering out there, and I’m grateful for groups like SPAN that do so much work for those who may need it. The employees and volunteers behind SPAN show much compassion in what they do. I aspire to do the same, and am grateful to SPAN for the privilege and opportunity.
- What keeps you coming back to volunteer? I love working with the kids. I love the fort building and the fast action Uno tournaments. I love the paper airplanes and the hide-and-seek marathons. I love the coloring, the giant yoga block towers, the rounds of kickball, and the mellow sandbox sessions. I could go on and on. Being a children’s volunteer is really more than just play, but it does feel good to drop this semi-façade of being an adult once in a while, and to just have fun. More than that, though, it’s when you get that rare bear-hug from a kid at the end of group and you get the feeling you did at least one thing right that day.And I love my kids’ group homies!! Shout out: you’re all volunteers of the month in my book! And probably deserve it more than me!
- What is the best part about being a kid? See answer above. And having someone else do your laundry. Plus pay the bills.
- Since volunteering here, what is one thing you have learned about social justice? We’re surrounded by inequality, bias, and privilege. Be aware of it as best you can. There may be times when we benefit from it. Use that to your advantage to help generate awareness, effect change, and advocate for others.