Picture an introvert’s worst nightmare, over 30 children under the age of 10 with parents staring at you in the basement of a church that looks like something out of a Conjuring movie. It’s a local program that works with one of the many churches in town. It’s the beginning of summer and the heat makes everyone smell rancid. The two pillars on opposite sides of the room that hold the floor above the basement in place, are already decomposing–only a matter of time before it caved in. The windows barely let any light in because of the muck they were covered in–with the most vile yellow-green color that I have never seen in my life. There was the sad and lonely fan that couldn’t even reach a person a few feet away from it. 

On Saturday mornings you have to arrange chairs and ridiculously large tables that make it feel like a workout while the adult volunteers put pens and flyers in bags for the kids that they would never use or read. You teach the kids how to live healthy lifestyles and the lesson of the day was how to eat healthy. Which was strange since everyone volunteering had gone to Dunkin' Donuts or Mcdonalds right before willingly locking themselves in a sketchy underground room filled with a putrid aroma where sweat stains would be left behind on the chairs and floor. Bingo games would be played and prizes won. After a few kids come up to get their prizes, the rest keep coming, but nothing else is left to give out so you have to improvise and pretend random pens and wrist bands have the same value as coloring books and board games. “I’m sorry this is all I have” I would say at least ten times before they stopped telling you that they wanted a prize.

During these games though, you help out the children that are struggling–or at least try to. Kids are ruthless and vocalize any thought they have whether it be a positive one or a completely soul crushing comment or question. When you try to help them, some don’t even look at you and completely ignore you. Others ask “Why do you look like that?” or run to their parents when you try to talk to them. Because of this a lot of people wouldn’t wake up early on Saturday mornings to spend time with a bunch of random mean kids. They wonder why adults–let alone a bunch of teenagers–would do it. It’s because children are going to eventually be the ones in charge of us when we grow old and wrinkly. Doing nothing on a Saturday is relaxing; but teaching kids could brighten our future. You never know if those brats who berate you and call you the most outrageous things could make good change in our world.