Episcopal High School Seniors Volunteer In A Two-Week Outreach Program at Small Steps
As the staff of Small Steps returned from the MLK holiday, we were pleasantly surprised to see some new faces at our daily staff devotional! Eight Episcopal High School seniors, four per campus, arrived for the beginning of a two-week stay at Small Steps. They were participating in EHS’s Senior Outreach Program, a time for each senior to participate in an intensive community service program.
Small Steps was so blessed to have students volunteer with us and become a part of the family. Each student was placed in a classroom as an assistant and also participated in various service projects throughout the school. The EHS students grew close to our Small Steps students over the course of two weeks; as EHS senior Rachel Gershenson (pictured above) tells us, “Working at Small Steps was such an amazing experience. I fell in love with my class and the kids. I really became so close to them and the teachers, Ms. Doris and Ms. Teresa.”
Emily Jaschke, an EHS senior who volunteered at our Jensen campus, was amazed by the relational nature of Small Steps. She commented on her appreciation of the great relationships that teachers have with their students and how much our program staff knows about our Small Steps families. She concluded, “It’s eye-opening, in a positive way, to see a community that’s so close-knit.”
Jillian Netzel, another Jensen campus volunteer, reflected on her van ride throughout the Fifth Ward to take food to families. “Now I really see how fortunate I am and what my family has given me.”
Additionally, the seniors applied for EHS grants on behalf of Small Steps, asking for money to provide for a need that they observed. At the Jensen campus, Episcopal High School granted us money to purchase much-needed Spanish books and school supplies; at the DePelchin campus, the grant money will go towards a wagon and mini-wheelbarrows for the playground. We are truly appreciative of the work of the students to observe needs and apply for grants on behalf of Small Steps as well as for the generosity of Episcopal High School.
To all of the Episcopal High School seniors: Maya Hamouie, Samantha Speakmon, Rachel Gershenson, Rebecca Shumaker, Jillian Netzel, Emily Jaschke, Blake Rankin, and Emilice Villatoro, thank you for your service to the children of Small Steps! And thank you to Mike Donnelly, Episcopal High School’s Community Outreach Coordinator, for putting together and supervising this effort.
To coordinate Small Steps volunteer activities with your organization, please contact Retta Bravo, our volunteer manager, at 713-862-1020.
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