In their own words:  What has made the most impact on you this week?

Olivia – When I see Myles laugh and smile; especially when I laugh so hard with him.  Whenever I’m with him, he is not just a kid that I’m taking care of, but actually a good friend of mine.

Jackie – Building a relationship with all of the kids, and getting to know them better each day.  I feel like these kids have already changed me in so many ways.  I have a better understanding of what they go through in their lives; it makes me appreciate all that I have and all that I have to offer them.

Kate – The explorers!  They are different than the kids, in my area, I babysit and they have allowed me to see similarities and differences between kids who have grown up in Lake Forest and kids who have grown up in Pontiac.

Jennifer – Seeing how sad the kids were to leave us these past couple of days.  I know that I always love going home, so to see that they would rather stay with us was really touching.  Also, having one-on-one conversations with some of the kids and forming relationships has made an impact on me as well.

Susanna – Personally, working with the children from PATH has made the most impact.  Being able to make a difference in the daily lives of these kids, no matter how small of a difference it is, makes me feel like I’m actually doing something worthwhile.

Meg – The “twins,” Jeremiah, and Kaleb.  They are 2 and 3 years old.  I love making them laugh and playing with them.  They are only kids and deserve to have the same opportunities as all the rest.  They are so innocent it’s hard to listen to snippets of things their parents say and they repeat at camp.

Myriam – How all of the boys can easily clique and be with everybody and the girls up to this day it’s hard to make them talk to everybody else.

Julianne – Seeing the Pontiac children’s faces each day.  They laugh and giggle at almost everything.  The Pontiac children cherish the attention and love we give them, which you can really see light up in their faces.  To me, seeing that we can truly brighten up their day and make even a little difference through their joy has made the most impact.

Kileen – Meeting Deon because he is someone that everybody can look up to in different ways.

Katie – I loved playing with Tizaria and Tizariona, who are 4-year-old girl twins.  While they are a handful at times with running in museums and not using indoor voices, their excitement at the littlest things like chocolate pudding and story time makes it all worthwhile.  They have made me an even more patient and caring person.

Katherine – Seeing the kids smile.  It makes me feel so great to know that I am making them so happy, even through the littlest things like choosing them in “Duck, Duck, Goose” or holding their hands.  Hearing their giggles and running feet every morning as we await them in the classroom, and seeing them ask to sleep over with us makes me feel so happy and like I am really making a difference in their summer.

Below are some pictures of our adventures…