Last week, I volunteered with UNICEF at the Birthday Party Project in Dallas. This organization is dedicated to bringing joy to homeless children by hosting monthly birthday parties for them. At the party, we helped put up decorations, gave the kids with birthdays their birthday badges, and at the end of the party, handed out party favors to all the kids as they left and helped clean up the room afterwards.
When they came in at the beginning, screaming and running around, I was unprepared for the noise but their excitement to be there made me smile. Most of the party consisted of a show by the "Critterman," a trained professional who came in with various wild animals, showed them to the kids, and taught them about those animals, their habitats and behaviors. It was quite amusing to see how the kids screamed and moved away when the Critterman took out a reptile and a giant constrictor at the very end, but what was most remarkable was seeing how the kids slowly inched forward as he told them about the animal, and finally even worked up the courage to go to the front and hold or pet it. That was the best thing about it - not only did the kids get a lesson on wild animals, but also had the chance to get over their fear of them. Even I was able to learn some things from the Critterman that I hadn't known before!
Overall, the birthday party didn't last very long (less than an hour), but even in that short amount of time, I could see the impact it had on the kids who were there. It made me happy to see that our simple efforts brought the kids such happiness. As we were handing out goody bags to the kids, one little boy came up to me and proudly showed me his stuffed hedgehog that he had gotten and allowed me to pet it. The birthday party was a rewarding experience because it showed me how something as simple as a cupcake, a birthday gift, and a place to celebrate could bring the kids so much joy. I hope that in the future, I'll have a chance to help out with another birthday party.
When they came in at the beginning, screaming and running around, I was unprepared for the noise but their excitement to be there made me smile. Most of the party consisted of a show by the "Critterman," a trained professional who came in with various wild animals, showed them to the kids, and taught them about those animals, their habitats and behaviors. It was quite amusing to see how the kids screamed and moved away when the Critterman took out a reptile and a giant constrictor at the very end, but what was most remarkable was seeing how the kids slowly inched forward as he told them about the animal, and finally even worked up the courage to go to the front and hold or pet it. That was the best thing about it - not only did the kids get a lesson on wild animals, but also had the chance to get over their fear of them. Even I was able to learn some things from the Critterman that I hadn't known before!
Overall, the birthday party didn't last very long (less than an hour), but even in that short amount of time, I could see the impact it had on the kids who were there. It made me happy to see that our simple efforts brought the kids such happiness. As we were handing out goody bags to the kids, one little boy came up to me and proudly showed me his stuffed hedgehog that he had gotten and allowed me to pet it. The birthday party was a rewarding experience because it showed me how something as simple as a cupcake, a birthday gift, and a place to celebrate could bring the kids so much joy. I hope that in the future, I'll have a chance to help out with another birthday party.
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