Avondale students build skills while helping others

In the Avondale SKILL Program, volunteerism presents an opportunity for learning and a chance for students to give back to their community - something that contributes to their healthy emotional growth. SKILL, a post high school transition program for students with a disability, offers a curriculum with real-world meaning and the opportunity for students to develop independent living and independent employment skills.

Employment skills include not only the hard skills required to perform the tasks of a job but also soft skills like following directions, meeting deadlines, problem solving, being flexible and maintaining a positive attitude. The SKILL staff looks for volunteer opportunities around the District where students can work on these skills while building community connections.

Blessings in a Backpack, which began as a “neighbor-helping-neighbor” program is one such opportunity. Designed to help meet the nutritional needs of children over the weekend – when they are away from opportunities for nourishment through initiatives like “free and reduced lunches,” Blessings in a Backpack serves students in the Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills areas.

The SKILL students understand the needs that Blessings in a Backpack meets. They know that they are helping their peers – something that gives students like Elizabeth Matthes a sense of satisfaction. “I know there are kids that don’t have food to eat and I heard that when kids don’t eat it’s hard for them to learn. They can’t focus and all they think about is that they are hungry. At least with Blessings in a Backpack they’ll get something to eat and maybe they’ll do better at school.”

Involvement with Blessings in and a Backpack prompted the SKILL staff to develop other volunteer opportunities for the students around the community including working with groups like Avondale Youth Assistance and the Auburn Hills Senior Center. “It’s important for our students to feel connected to their community. We want them to understand that they can contribute to bettering the lives of their neighbors,” said program teacher, Kristin Jacobson. “When they leave our program we hope that they will continue to be active through volunteerism. We want them to keep connecting with other community members for common causes. It is how they will build a rich and productive life.”