It would be
an understatement to say that in the past few months we’ve experienced some
challenges to our established way of life. Our current situation has redefined
many things we took for granted, and all of us are learning how to navigate
what sometimes feels like a different world.
We
have undergone many changes here at Youthlinc to accommodate these
uncertainties, but our greatest challenge has been the changes we can’t
control. Many of our students volunteering in care centers, hospitals,
and after-school programs have been placed under temporary
restrictions, or have had to stop volunteering altogether.
We made the difficult decision to postpone our capstone trips, and with an
uncertain future, we were faced with the challenge of finding additional meaningful
and important service activities for our students at home in appropriate
ways while we are expected to social distance.
The
pressures of this new way of life are felt by all of us. Many of
us have found ourselves trying to balance school, work, and home
life, a difficult task even before all of the new guidelines were set in place.
However, as the situation continued to unfold, we saw so many of you rise to
the occasion.
Due
to the challenges and the courage of those around us, we have been inspired
to launch a new program, Youthlinc@Home, a virtual service
program. This program will connect volunteers with
elementary-aged students virtually who will provide one-on-one
tutoring, as well as fun and engaging activities such as art, cooking, dance,
and science.
As
humans we crave interaction and love creating bonds with those with
whom we volunteer. The relationships we foster with those around us have
made Youthlinc what it is today, and despite new rules and regulations
surrounding our interactions with others, we do not want to give
up creating and sustaining those meaningful connections.
Part
of Youthlinc’s core is the idea that making connections to others and
developing relationships is essential to becoming a lifetime humanitarian
and we are excited to continue that purpose.
Currently we are
experimenting with different classes and scenarios to develop the best
programming to meet the needs we see within the community. We have
been encouraged with the successes we have seen thus far, and
participants on both sides have enjoyed their experiences. We look forward
to unveiling Youthlinc@Home in June. You can find more information or
sign up to volunteer or take a class at www.youthlinc.org/youthlincathome.