My Extended Family

there are thousands of children growing up in the firm world that are growing up in a very different circumstance than what was considered the quote-unquote norm until now there's a lot of turmoil a lot of instability sometimes the kids would just put up a happy front and you wouldn't even really know what they're going through but they're really struggling too many children are growing up in a way that they feel uncared for untended and we can't afford that we're just there for them and give them a safe place a happy place a fun place where they can feel free it's something that really gives a his an energy for the rest of the week when you have an anchor and you have something that you can rely on you can always fall back on that's something that's very comforting in these kids lives in we have a lot of big sisters who are so dedicated it takes her mind off of whatever she's going on at home or whatever's happening in school it's like a cushion it's a big big help after he witnessed so much turmoil and darkness in his life that he could come and feel like someone loves him one of the little sisters in my extended family was in a performance and i got there and i saw like she was very worried like she was looking around and i came up from behind her and i screamed her name and she turned around and her face lit up she said you came for me you came to watch me the excitement on her face was priceless she got on stage with so much courage and like she looked like she was ready to conquer the world even in the best of circumstances in the best of situations there's a certain void that void can be filled with enough of the good stuff that children need growing up that they can be really really happy and successful adults we try to provide a safe environment where the girls feel comfortable where they feel like they can be themselves their parents are so busy like trying to take care of them that sometimes their emotional needs and their homework falls under the rug i'm just a listening ear giving her the tension that she craves beneath this happy-go-lucky strong-minded little girl there's a tenderness there that needs to be stroked and she all she wants is just the love we love you we care for you no matter how difficult how challenging your life is around you we understand that you're a champion and we are here to support you and to make you feel you can change the world last week was both of our birthdays they started coming out with a cake and with hats and we were so excited her face lit up she felt so good about the birthday party like these are people that care for her that are excited about her birthday party these girls and boys in the program have real struggles in their lives and it's not a struggle that all of their peers can relate to but for them it's very real it provides such an amazing awareness for children who really otherwise throughout the rest of their day have to walk around feeling like a statistic there are many kids that actually until they come to the club feel like they're the only ones in this situation every single child feels this is their family that they belong ever since the day that i started doing my extended family i never looked back it's never boring it's always exciting and i just i love it i think i gained more than the kids we're making a difference in the kids lives everyone is so dedicated and it's such an inspiration to me and i just i just can't see myself doing anything else however much we can possibly give i'd say that we gain much more it just teaches me how to give and it teaches me how to be selfless we could really make a difference to these girls you could tell that they're really gaining from the environment and the program and to see the smile on my little sister's face like when we're doing activities or doing anything is really like worth it now i can't imagine my life without it when i saw the impact that it really makes on these kids lives it became something that not just that i want to do but it's something i need to do we're helping these kids feel more comfortable about themselves feel more confident with themselves the biggest possible privilege is in my opinion to really be part of this [Music] you