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Mejia
Essentials of Humanities
December 4, 2018
My Civic Commitment activity was at The Children's Center Kearns Location on Friday,
November 30 for three hours. The Children’s Center at Salt Lake and Kearns Locations is an
agency that provides help to children and families that are facing difficult situations. Parenting is
sometimes a difficult task, and this center provides families with the necessary skills to have a
well-being life. Children attend the center three hours a day from Monday to Friday. During this
time children have activities to learn positive behavior, share with other children, communication
I was volunteering two teachers in charge of a group of children between 3 and 4 years of
age. In the center the groups of children are small. The group that I support was formed by seven
children who regularly attend the center. My participation consisted of supporting the children's
activities such as snack, play time, lunch, reading books, and encouraged them to keep the
attention of the children to the teacher. One of my duties was to help the teachers keep the tables
and floors clean after the little ones had taken their snack, lunch and especially after they played
with a bucket of sand and toys at one of the tables in the classroom. It was very fun for me to
follow the instructions of the teachers, play with the little ones, sing, and dance with them.
During a club fair at Salt Lake Community College, I met Leslie Durham, Manager of
Community Relations and Volunteers, at The Children’s Center. She told me about the work the
center does, and I about their need of volunteers at their two centers. When I decided to
volunteer at the center, I contacted Leslie. I expressed to her my desire to serve as a volunteer in
this place because these provide a beautiful help to children and their families. According to the
text, the English philosopher John Locke (1632-1704) expressed "... improving the social
environment would work to perfect the human condition" (Gloria K. Fiero, p.302, 2017). My
desire to volunteer in this place was to contribute a small grain of sand to create along with the
teachers, even if only for a few hours, a safe environment for the little ones in the center. Each
activity that the teachers schedule for the children has the purpose of helping them to develop
qualities in their behavior that will help them to relate in a healthy way in their family and social
environment. Through games, the little ones learn and reinforce their behaviors.
by taking part in this volunteering I realized some of the needs of the children. When I know the
needs of other people, I can take civil responsibility to cover those needs by acting on their
welfare. It made me very happy to create a relationship of trust with the children.
The text mentions "Whether people become brutish or otherwise depends solely on their
experiences ..." (Gloria K. Fiero, p.301, 2017). I think that the little ones are very honest in their
feelings, they just need to learn to express their emotions in a certain way that liberates them
from acting with brutality. At the same time, they learn to have more pleasant experiences in
their relationship with others. I am also full of pleasant experiences to live, play, and sing with
the teachers and children, which makes me stay away from the brutality.
I consider it very enriching for the soul to feel that I can earn the trust of the little ones
who have suffered very difficult situations in their lives. In turn, they feel security in others.
Happiness can be found in detail as simple as feeling a little hand that seeks refuge in mine or a
little face telling me to accompany him to play. Then I can feel that children are on the road to
freedom.
I absolutely enjoy this experience. It is beautiful to help others. When I give service to
others, I am the one most benefited by the experience that leaves me. For me, it is very nice to
see the faces of the children when feeling the security of expressing themselves through simple
songs or fun dances. It is very exciting to share the achievement of the little ones when they
achieve a goal, or when they manage to make a skill. I will continue again as a volunteer
providing help to these children and above all, learning from them.
beings. It is difficult to imagine how much child's self-esteem strengthens when he receives a
smile and reinforcing his learning by playing and singing. In this way, I not only help others and
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