Josh was 6 years old when he had his first pony ride … at a pumpkin patch.
Almost 31 years ago (in April 1994), I volunteered for a program called “Student Buddy.”
It was affiliated with a local homeless shelter (Loaves & Fishes).
In the tagline on their website, they call themselves “An Oasis for Adults & Children Experiencing Homelessness.”
Connected to that shelter is the Mustard Seed School – where children ages 3-15 are able to attend if their family is homeless.
But despite having access to the school, many kids were still absent most of the time … usually because their parents were in transition – between different shelters or homeless camps.
So one local “concerned citizen” – Ellen Reay – decided to start a program called Student Buddy. The time commitment for volunteers was a lot less than with programs like Big Sisters or Big Brothers.
The only requirement was for us to meet with our students for lunch once a week (often helping them with homework) and accompany them on a field trip at least once or twice a year. (I ended up going on almost every field trip they offered – usually at least one every 2-3 months.)
Kids weren’t allowed to remain in the program if they didn’t stay in school.
I started working with Josh a few months before he turned 6. This photo was taken about 6 months after that – at a pumpkin patch. I’m sure it was the first time he’d ever sat on a pony.
I ended up being Josh’s “buddy” for 5½ years. Even after I stopped working with him, he stayed in touch for a few years. I truly felt like I was part of his family. The last I heard, he was doing well. (He turns 37 in July.)
Josh was one of the luckier kids in the program, since his mom had managed to find a house for their family to live in. (He had three older siblings.)
It’s impossible to know just how much of a difference I made in his life, but I know he made a difference in MY life. Because of my connection with him, I sought out opportunities to mentor other young people … and eventually (26 years ago), adopted a son of my own who was born to an at-risk mom.
The Student Buddy Program is now called Carmichael HART (Homeless Assistance Resource Team).
