Why I Volunteer

Before leaving for Ecuador, I completed my training to become a Sanctuary Tour Guide with the Portland Audubon Society, and since I have been back I have been leading tours of kids (K-3rd grade) several times a week.

To be perfectly honest, I am still not entirely sure from day to day whether or not I actually like working with children; some mornings I wake up feeling ready for anything they might do to challenge me, and other days I practically dread their arrival. But I find that, when the tour is over, I can almost always pick something positive out of it, even if I feel utterly defeated. (Fortunately, this doesn't happen all that often, but I definitely don't envy most of these teachers' jobs!)

But what really keeps me going back for more are those golden moments when I can tell that I've made a difference to a child. I was blessed with two of them today, in a group of kindergarteners. The first came after we had taken our hike around the wildlife sanctuary and were catching our breath before going inside to check out the animal pelts. One of the kids piped up and exclaimed, "That was awesome!" Her friend then jumped in and corrected her, saying, "No, it was better than awesome. It was the BEST!" I love taking little kids out into the woods. :)

The other wonderful moment today was relayed to me by a fellow volunteer, who had been accosted in the parking lot by one of the children who had been in my group, right before their bus departed (I had already gone inside). She said he came up to her and grabbed her coat and said earnestly, "Tell Miss Lacey I had a really fun time. Tell her it's from Andrew."

Now, who wouldn't want to keep going back for moments like those?