Loulla ’25 gives back to their community by volunteering at a women’s shelter and providing much-needed fun and educational activities for the children.
For the past three months, I have dedicated time to supporting a women’s shelter in my area, Christina’s House. This organization provides transitional housing for women and their children who have experienced homelessness or near-homelessness in the past. Many mothers are very busy working towards their goals with the help of the team at the home; however, during the summertime, structured activities for their children can sometimes be lacking. On Wednesday and Thursday nights, while the mothers attend classes and focus on themselves, volunteers and I step in to spend time with their children.
It has been an amazing experience getting to know these children and their mothers during my time volunteering. In the few months I’ve known them, I’ve learned about their stories, passions, and hopes for the future. It was truly inspiring to see this fully female-run organization provide the support and love the residents need. I also had the opportunity to learn about the administrative side of the organization, spending time in the office and working alongside the directors.
With the help of the CSGC, I was able to contribute even more by providing the children with educational activities during my volunteer shifts, as well as supplies for the community garden. I noticed that while much attention and many donations were given to necessities like detergent and toilet paper, donations for the children to enjoy were sometimes overlooked.
It was incredibly rewarding to see the smiles on the faces of both the kids and their mothers when I delivered the donation bags to the home. The gardening supplies allowed the children to spend more time outdoors, working together and learning in the community garden. I also donated arts and crafts supplies and books, which gave the kids something to look forward to during my Wednesday and Thursday night visits. Although I won’t be able to volunteer during the school year, I hope the impact of these donations and my time spent with them will continue to make a difference for the children.
Throughout the summer, my time at Christina’s House taught me many valuable lessons. The resiliency of the residents was moving and motivated me to dedicate more of myself to this important cause. I was also able to raise awareness about Christina’s House in my own community, encouraging others to get involved in volunteering or provide donations.
Thank you to the CSGC for enabling me to make a meaningful impact on the residents of Christina’s House!
