The Turkey Craft

Fall is officially making the transition into winter. Turkey and cornucopia decorations are being replaced by snowflakes and holly wreaths, and from a college student's perspective, this means a semester is preparing to come to a close. In the hustle and bustle of writing essay upon essay and giving presentation upon presentation, one thing that I'm grateful for is the opportunity to have a few hours at Step By Step every other Thursday night. There's something therapeutic about being able to take a step back from a busy schedule and instead focus on playing with a set of sweet kids I've grown to adore.

I recently gave a presentation about Step By Step's work for my introductory social work class, and the more I learn about this field, the more I realize how important the wonderful support these moms receive is. I'm grateful to be a part of this support system, even if it's only minimally. Working with this organization has definitely reinforced the fact that social work is what I truly want to do with my future: work with people, help people, love people, get to know people, and advocate for people. I never had the opportunity to work one-on-one with children before entering my volunteer position at Step By Step, but interacting with them and seeing the depths of their personalities has most definitely fed my love for kids. They're truly special.

Samara, left, decorating her "footballs"

There's never a dull moment in my three and four-year-old room. I've chosen to remain consistent in volunteering in this area because I've gotten close to the other volunteers, and I've also formed great bonds with the kids. The last time I volunteered was the week before Thanksgiving, and the craft for our night was to create paper plate and construction paper turkeys. Samara, always larger than life, decided to decorate her turkey feathers like footballs (she was proud of this idea, and made it clear that if anyone needed football feathers, she was the girl to go to). The "turkeys" were filled with beads, so of course she emptied hers onto the floor, and then insisted that the beads be put back in. She drew dots on her face with purple marker and called them her freckles. I must say, this craft was probably the most interesting one yet. She never fails to make me laugh.

As we move into the season of giving, Step By Step is looking for donations. They recently released the video below to promote their campaign during the Good Giving Guide Challenge. Check it out!