Zone 18
No. 14 Vol. 19
New View Media Group • 1-800-691-7549
October 10, 2018
Kids Who Care Program Gives Kids Purpose In Bloomingdale
V
By Dawn M. Chiossi olunteering holds many benefits, especially for young people, like increasing self- confidence and self-esteem, decreasing depression, increasing happiness. During volunteering people gain skills, experience and a sense of purpose doing something positive for the community. Bloomingdale’s 8th graders are invited and encouraged to do all this and more, with the next annual Bloomingdale Kids Who Care Program hosted by the Bloomingdale Recreation Department. Founded in 2007, with an average of 15 to 20 members, this program is an ideal way for kids to give of themselves, their time, efforts and talents, to make a difference to others and have fun at the same time. Kids can complete 18+ hours of community service, volunteering their time at various town events such as the recent Pride
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Day where they decorated pumpkins, and upcoming holiday events such as the Easter egg hunt, as well as other events. Kids who wish to get involved must attend required monthly meetings held at the Rec Center in Bloomingdale. After the hours are completed, the Kids Who Care members are recognized by the mayor and council. The program also gives members the opportunity to become a counselor in training at Bloomingdale’s summer camp. According to Bloomingdale Recreation Department Director Rachel Bodor, in past years, the members of the Kids Who Care program mostly have helped out the town’s PTA, drug alliance and senior center. They held fundraisers such as car washes, sent care packages to troops, and organized collections for Hurricane Sandy Victims. Bodor shares that the idea for the Kids Who Care Program was the idea of former Recreation Director Gail Galbraith who wanted to get more kids involved in community service work. Concerned about the wealth of graffiti on the playground, Galbraith realized that if kids worked hard to clean up and paint the playground, the next time they saw someone writing on it, they’d say something. She also had the kids help to run the community events. “Without the help from the Kids Who Care members, our public events would not run as smoothly as they do,” she says. “As the saying goes, many hands make light
work. Everyone loves the program. The kids as well as myself have a great time over the course of the year. Parents love that their kids are involved in something that they can give back to the community. “It’s my favorite program,” she says. “It’s a good turnout, and the kids are always a great group of kids to work with. I always have a few kids who say they couldn’t wait to be a part of Kids Who Care.” This is an ideal way for young people to help others while gaining a sense of accomplishment, something that Bodor hopes that the members will continue to have long after their club hours are completed. She additionally mentions that she hopes the program will help them with their future endeavors as some high schools and colleges look to students’ community service. “This program helps jump start the students into giving back and setting up their future,” Bodor says. And the program must be working. She says for the past four years she has been working with Michelle Flower who was a member of Kids Who Care herself from 2008-2009: Proof positive that sometimes paying it forward will boomerang good things right back. For further information or details on this program, contact Bodor at Bloomingdale Recreation Department at rbodor@ bloomingdalenj.net.