The second day of our experience was just as great as the first. The three through five year olds were pumped up and ready for fun. Every moment you spend with them is an absolute blast. Their smiling faces and sincere laughter make you fall in love with each and every one of them.
After centers we watched Elmo’s nature video to remind the kids that Abraham had to live on his own out in nature.
The urban experience of the day consisted of several of our youth members asking for food stamp applications and planning a budget as a 23-year old single mother of three: seven, six and two years old. One of the children has asthma and the seven- year old is a rowdy individual who finds himself in a fight a week.
The “experiencers” had to plan out how the family was going to afford all the household’s necessities with only $227 a month. It was an eye-opening event for the youth to realize how hard it was to afford just groceries and that these families had to leave items out that most would view as a necessity.
Both days have been a learning experience as well as days of bonding between the youth group and the children.
-Christina Bartelt