I volunteer as a mentor for Future for Kids and I LOVE it. I go to their site at the Salvation Army on 14th & Broadway every Monday for just an hour. The kids ages range from 7-14, and I love them all. We start out each session with some sort of warm-up and stretching. Then we go on to our main activity such as soccer, circut training, obstacle relay, etc. One of our goals is to try to teach the kids how to stay active in their everyday life. A lot of the children spend their time at home unsupervised and are inclined to sit around watching TV.
Next we break off in to smaller groups and talk to the kids about a specific topic of the week such as goals, giving back, respect, etc. This week we asked the kids to write down three things that they love about themselves. This is my favorite part of the hour because it gives me the chance to talk to some of the kids more one-on-one about important life skills. I love to build up their self confidence!
The last thing we do every week is talk to the kids about healthy eating habits. There is a different topic every week (i.e. dairy, grains, fruits) and we briefly discuss the nutritional importance of the food topic of the week. Then we demonstrate making a healthy snack and give it to each child. For example, the week we talked about dairy, we made non-fat yogurt with granola and frozen berries. The kids loved it. We want to show them easy ways they can make healthy things for themselves at home. We try to teach them little ways they can eat healthier and make better choices so that they are able to apply it to their lives. Surprisingly, they are all very interested in learning about nutrition and food.
I love Future for Kids. Going to the program is one of the highlights of my week and it is so rewarding to know that I could be having a positive influence on a child's life. read more