Volunteering at The Edge

“Ok, EVERYBODY!  Let’s circle up!”

Mr. Serum, program manager at the Motivational Edge, shouts over the din of dozens of after-school kids scribbling homework, wrestling math, drawing cartoons, or just getting their ya-yas out.

“Let’s do this quick!”

“This” is one of my favorite times to be at the Edge, a magical place where I volunteer as a reading pal on Wednesdays. I never tire of witnessing the younger kids at this arts-based program gather to call out theaffirmations that staffers like Serum, an artist and musician extraordinaire, reinforce through an array of activities every day:

“I am strong! I am smart! I respect myself! I love myself! I am brave! I am kind! I am enough! I am creative! I am important!”

No matter what’s happening in my life or the world, the Edge is my refuge as much as it is the kids’. When I arrive with books and candy (a little incentive) children run to hug me, eager to hear stories.

There’s such joy in listening to two of my pals, third-graders Skye and Kaliyah, read out loud. Ever inquisitive, Skye declares, “That’s a simile!” Ever amusing, Kaliyah reads quotes in different voices and accents.

And that’s the magic of the Edge. It’s a safe and nurturing haven in a chaotic world where kids feel smart, important, creative and respected.

Because that’s how they’re treated.