All You Have To Do Is ASCC by Rachel

All You Have To Do Is ASCC by Rachel - January 2017 Scholarship Essay

ASCC -- the Association for Supportive Child Care -- provides many services for kids in Arizona who often have little else to rely on. I volunteered with a subset of that program called Phone Friend, answering a warm line available for children to call for homework help, moral support, or just a friend to talk to. As I began, I was briefed concerning the staggering statistics and stark realities of child care. Even more than I had previously thought, there is a tremendous need for kindness and empathy, especially among children, so I set my sights on easing that demand. I learned how to talk to kids, to teach them, and to treat them like they’re worth something, because too often they don’t feel important in their day to day lives. I saw how much joy can be shared through a kind word, or a friendly hello; I was a witness to the happiness, however temporary, that kids felt when I read to them or told them jokes. By volunteering with this program I saw the weight of the little things and better understood the importance of service. I made sure that when a child called Phone Friend -- when they "ASCC"ed for help -- that they received that little bit of love that they were looking for. My contribution, from a certain perspective, can be seen as small. I consider it monumental.
I gave what I could, and as a part of Phone Friend I continue to have a positive effect on my community. At Phone Friend children are taught how to become courageous and independent, that they may become the masters of their own destinies, and at Phone Friend I was taught how to become kind and genuine, and to turn my newfound knowledge into a way of life. Whether it be to my siblings, my young violin students, the children of family friends, or a little girl in line with her mom at the grocery store, I am able to spread smiles. As I lead kids to see the brightness of the world, encouraging good behavior and showing them how it is possible, I help to build a generation of people who are confident, innovative, and self-sufficient, impacting my community and the world in unimaginable ways.