Last Fall quarter, our Honors Community Involvement class was tasked with creating a project that we would be able to carry for Winter and Spring Quarters, and possibly onward. I formed a team with Timothy, Timmy, Kevin, Diego and Jeff, all fellow juniors. Previously, Jeff had worked with Operation SafeHouse as a volunteer, so we inquired about them as a possible community partner. This company is dedicated to helping families in crisis. When kids have problems, Operation Safehouse takes them in for a period of time. There, kids can participate in classes and spend time with other children who have experienced the same struggles: drug abuse, domestic abuse, or even just overall tension at home. By week five of Fall quarter, we had gathered the information needed to contact Operation Safehouse, and made a call to serve as college volunteers. Thankfully, our group was well received, and by the second half of the quarter we would spend time helping them at their Riverside Location. The spot at Riverside is set up as a house with many rooms for the kids. There’s a basketball court and small grass area for activities, and a building in the back serves as a classroom. When kids sign up for Operation SafeHouse, they essentially have their housing and schooling take place at one location, so a lot of food, office supplies and clothes circulate through every week. For Fall quarter, my group and I would come in Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. In these three-hour sessions, we would help pack food in the pantries as well as stock the sheds with clothes. By the start of Winter quarter, we had established a rapport with administration and they allowed us to proceed with the second step of our project.
The ultimate goal for our project was to be able to produce a positive impact on the kids at Operation SafeHouse. Many of the kids in the program experience major problems at home and therefore end up not caring about an education, thus struggling in school. We wanted to put the college education that was afforded to us to good use and re-inspire them. So, in Winter quarter, my group and I interacted with the kids at SafeHouse through three different types of activities: presentations, game nights and tutoring sessions. In the beginning of the quarter, we started interacting directly with the kids by playing games with them every Tuesday and Thursday nights. Through basketball, football, UNO and Heads Up!, my group and I got to know the kids better and become friends. We were scheduled for 7-9pm every Tuesday and Thursday, so after class my group and I would make our way to the Riverside location for our sessions. After a few weeks of fun activities, we transitioned into more serious subjects. For the middle and end of Winter quarter, my group and I would make PowerPoints presentations for the kids. Some of these included information on FAFSA (applying for financial aid for college), vocational school, and life in college. The goal of this program was to inspire the kids to pursue an education. It was wonderful to learn from them what they wanted to do when they grew up: their aspirations ranged from veterinarian to marine biologist to business owner to chef. Before these sessions, many of the children were doubtful about pursuing a college education, but I was happy to see that they were able to change their opinion and open up their scope.
By Spring quarter, we had established a rotation of game nights, presentations, and tutoring at Operation SafeHouse. Each child stayed an average of two to three weeks at the Riverside location, so although our relationships with many of them were concise, we did our best to make sure they were genuine and impactful. The whole experience helped me make great friends, as well as realize a new sense of sympathy within myself.
-Brian Phamton, Class of 2019