1. VOLUNTEER JOURNAL Special Needs Awareness Day

2. Introduction I was required to complete 10 hours of community service for my Perspectives class; I chose to volunteer for Special Needs Awareness Day. There were outdoor activities set up in front of the Valdosta State baseball diamond for children to play, as well as trivia questions related to baseball and/or disabilities. The idea was to show the children that kids with special needs can coexist with other kids, and have a great time while doing so. It was a success.

3. Sponsors Special Needs Awareness Day was sponsored by the VSU baseball team. The kids got to run onto the field after the first pitch, which I’m sure they loved. Barberitos was also a sponsor; their mascot, Pepe, attended the event and took pictures with the kids (and me!)

4. Setting Up The event was supposed to start at 12:00pm, but Ami Guilliams, the woman in charge of the event, was a running little bit behind. We began working immediately after donning a Special Needs Awareness Day Shirt. Fortunately, there were no hitches; we set up the tables and games just in the nick of time. It was incredibly hot outside, though. I was burning up by the time we were done, but thankfully there was lemonade.

5. Games We had several fun little games for the kids to play, such as Toss Across, Face Painting, and a Moon Bounce. The children certainly enjoyed it. The special needs kids, for the most part, did as well or better than the others!

6. Differences The special needs children were able to play all the games and have a good time like the rest of the kids, but I noticed that they just operate a little differently. Some of them were very reserved, while others were very wild. I’m also pretty sure that they liked their prizes more than the other kids

7. Similarities While special needs children are obviously different than normal kids, they have many things in common. Kids are kids. The special needs kids enjoyed all the activities as much as the other children, and there were no real problems throughout the event. I saw parents reprimand their special needs child a few times. Their reactions are quite similar to normal children; some were ashamed and new they had been bad, while others were slightly more rebellious.

8. Coolest Special Needs Kid There was one boy in a wheelchair that just made me smile every time I saw him. He seemed very happy despite his disability, and he dominated at Tic-Tac-Toe! He was really cool. Go get em’ buddy!

9. My Experience I had a lot of fun volunteering at this event, and I really felt like I did something good for the community. Watching the special needs children mingle and play with the other kids brought a smile to my heart. I have always been empathetic towards the disabled, but this experience made me upset about the difficulties these children face growing up. At the same time, it showed me that they are capable of overcoming these obstacles.

10. The End Overall, it was a great experience. It is definitely something I would do again, in a heartbeat. Making those kids smile just made my day. It has also definitely piqued my curiosity in volunteering. Who knows what other kind of fun stuff I could do while helping the community?