This past week was the last week of summer reading for the kids, and it was so bittersweet. Actually, it was mostly sweet and sticky – we had an ice cream to celebrate and it was so fun and chaotic! It was a great to get all of the kids and many of their parents together in one place to celebrate their participation in and, in some cases, dedication to the reading program. The kids were so excited for the ice cream and we got to give out some gift cards and prizes to some of the most dedicated kids. While I will miss seeing the kids everyday, I am glad to have a break from being the line monitor, check-in master, and behavior supervisor! Being in charge of a bunch of kids everyday can be incredibly challenging to your sanity and patience, but it is also so rewarding to see all the smiles and to know you were a part of making that happen. I look forward to planning a couple of fun nights for the kids to come hang out and make crafts or play soccer!

Last week, I also had a preliminary meeting to discuss a grant we are moving forward with. It is cool to see the work and thought process that goes into even the first steps of applying for a grant. I enjoyed the process of talking through how we fit into the mission of the grant, brainstorming ways to apply the funding, and troubleshooting the roadblocks that are certain to come up. I look forward to learning more about this process as we move forward with the application process.

Tonight is our volunteer appreciation dinner, and I already know its going to be a big, fun party. Our incredible volunteers contribute so much to helping the organization out in various ways and we truly could not do it without them. There are so many selfless, fun, compassionate individuals that help us out and I am looking forward to celebrating them and showing our appreciation at tonight’s dinner. They deserve a huge round of applause!