Saturdays at P4K—Creating Possibilities

When the children arrive at Peace4Kids for their first time, they have no idea what to expect. As they walk through the doors, they are welcomed by smiling faces, a warm welcome from all of the wonderful Peace4Kids volunteers and they realize….this is a different kind of place than what they are used to and their faces light up.

As the P4K family provides each child with individualized choices based on their needs and not someone else’s, they become excited! The look of joy on each and every one of their faces is inspiring and this is a major reason why the volunteers show up every Saturday-to see those smiling faces filled with enthusiasm and joy in finding what can truly be possible for each and every one of them.

The children are encouraged, engaged and begin to understand that the world is full of other possibilities and their dreams can and WILL come true. They experience classes such as Peace Garden, Cooking, Divas and Dons, Hip Hop Dance and Rescue 911 and they begin to see that they can dance, they can cook and they can even SAVE LIVES.

In Rescue 911 the kids are taught how to react calmly and what to do to care for themselves and others during disasters or accidents. They asked many questions of our own P4K volunteer, Emanuela Sofroni, EMT, because they were excited about the possibilities of helping someone else in need.

They were also given the opportunity to choose to donate school supplies to children in New Orleans and they DID. They filled up backpacks, donated their allowance and wanted to be sure the KIDS WHO NEED IT, would get it. This is clearly what P4K creates for so many, perpetuating the feeling of giving so we all understand how good it feels to help others. One participant, Seth age 12, never knew what an EMT was until he entered the Rescue 911 class and after he was exposed to this class he expressed an interest in becoming an EMT. More and more possibilities for this child and the others is what we create every day at Peace4Kids. When a child understands they have choices, the possibilities for their life are endless. Every choice they make affects their future and inspires self-confidence and hope. Their limitations disappear and a new personality is revealed from within.

Marni Otway, MFT
Program Director