No Kids? No Problem!

Last week, I volunteered to work an Open House at Fannie Fitzgerald Elementary School. My friend, Zoe Vitter, asked our Occoquan.Woodbridge.Neabsco Optimists if anyone would like to help out at this event. Our Optimists have “adopted” Fitzgerald and are attempting to offer support in some fashion that will be beneficial to the students, teachers and parents.

Optimist International is devoted to children. Our O.W.N.Optimists are part of an association of more than 2,900 Optimist Clubs around the world dedicated to "Bringing Out the Best in Kids." Adult volunteers join Optimist Clubs to conduct positive service projects in their communities aimed at providing a helping hand to youth. With their upbeat attitude, Optimist Club members help empower young people to be the best that they can be.

Each Optimist Club determines the needs of the young people in its community and conducts programs to meet those needs. Every year, Optimists conduct 65,000 service projects and serve well over six million young people.

I admit a little trepidation on my part, first in joining the Optimists, then in volunteering to help out at Fitzgerald Elementary. My youngest son is nearly 35 years old, so it’s been a very long time since I interacted with young children.

Joining the Optimists has been one of the best decisions I made last year. Our President, Earnie Porta, is well known as the Mayor of Occoquan. Our board members are all community minded citizens used to volunteering in a wide variety of interests. We all enjoy each others’ company and the opportunity to serve.

I volunteered at school when my children were small, but as they grew and I had a career and later a business, my volunteer time at school became less every year. I tried not to feel guilty, for I had done my part and the needs of my family at home eventually surpassed the needs of my family at school.

So, I wasn’t certain how I would “fit” at Fitzgerald, but I need not have been concerned.
Zoe made me feel welcome, explained we were trying to recruit volunteers to help at school, hand out leaflets containing reading tips, and give directions to families searching for their new classrooms and teachers. She introduced me to the new principal, Mrs.Bridget Outlaw, a warm and friendly woman who shook hands and introduced herself to everyone who passed within her orbit

I’d like to describe the entire experience, but I think it may take several thousand words, so I just want to make a couple of observations and perhaps return to this topic at another time.

I was so impressed by the students and families who came to the Open House. Everyone was smiling and eager to meet their new teachers. There were more dads than I had expected quite a few grandparents and a fair smattering of older siblings who were “doing the duty”, getting younger brothers and sisters and their enormous amounts of supplies to the right room.

This is a working community. I’m betting that most of the mothers who were there had to take off work to bring their children. I’m also betting they can’t do that to help out in the library or assist a teacher in the classroom.

If you have some time to volunteer, either on a one time basis or a recurrent basis, there are some ideal opportunities available to you. Come to our next Optimist meeting, Thursday, September 6, at 7:00 PM in the Occoquan Town Hall at 314 Mill St. Occoquan, Va 22125.

We have many other plans and programs upcoming that will benefit youth throughout our communities, and look forward to meeting you and hearing your ideas.