Yesterday, our 4-H group took the blankets we made for a crisis nursery to the nursery in person. The manager was kind enough to give us a tour and tell us about the nursery itself. It was a completely humbling experience. When she told us that they teach kids some practical tips, like hiding in a closet instead of jumping into a fight when parents are being physical, some of us really teared up.
I’m afraid that the younger kids—Wood Sprite included—didn’t truly understand the purpose of the nursery. We try to help them see their volunteer efforts in action; last January, for example, we donated treats to the fire department and police department, and before that we made a sculpture for the library. This time, however, I don’t think I thought it through enough; the younger kids were much more interested in the toys than in what was happening at the nursery, which, in hindsight, was probably good since they aren’t really old enough to understand.
Even so, it really inspired us adults—as well as the older kids—to do more. We want to start a drive for items for the nursery, which is all run on donations. The oldest child in our group may even volunteer at the nursery. If you have a local crisis nursery, give them a call and see what they need. I’m sure they will appreciate it. You may not have a crisis nursery, but you may have something similar—from a homeless shelter to a halfway house, or even a soup kitchen or church that offers services for families—to help out however you can.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
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