What my kids and I do too make a difference.

We did not do a lot on the actual day but we as a family do several things during the year to help both at our church and in our local community. I myself have volunteered for Special Olympics since I was in the 8th grade, except for the two summers I was on summer missions in North Carolina and Louisiana, so that makes about 30 years. I have be extremely involved any church I have attended. Currently I am an administrative assistant in the k-5th grade ministries both on Sunday Morning and Wednesday evenings. I am also administrative assistant to the dram ministry. I help the Children and Families Directors with just about any thing she asks if I am able. I also am the administrative assistant to the director of the Spirit Steppers Jump Rope Ministries sponsored by our local Women's Christian Temperance Union. Last but definitely not least I have volunteered since the second year of the existence of Hearts at Home.

My daughter has grown up attending the Special Olympics with me, 3 years ago when she was finally old enough she officially stared volunteering. She has been on the student council at school where they have done many service projects. She has been on the Spirit Steppers Jump Rope Team since 1st grade. In 6th grade when she was too old for the team technically she started helping lead the team she is on of the youth leaders in the youth group at our church. She has been in the last 7 Christmas outreach plays at our church. In a couple of weeks she and a friend are going to do the jingle bell run for arthritis in our community. She has also expressed interest in doing the run for the cure to honor a lady form our church she is very close to whom was diagnosed with breast cancer in April. She also made a shirt and wore it on national cancer day to honor this lady.

My son who is ADHD has not done as much as his sister or I, but when he dose do something he gives it 150%. This year he started helping with the Spirit Steppers. He is always eager to help in a pinch in our preschool ministry at church. The last couple of weeks he has been helping the lady's with stuff in our food pantry at church. He is helping at school with Operation Santa which is local program in the Peoria and Bloomington Normal Illinois area where they sew stocking and fill them with items our service men and women need and send them to them for Christmas. He was also involved in four of our Christmas outreach show at church. This he has signed up to help with childcare for the cast and crew of our Christmas out reach show. Also this year he became a KidStuf Dancer. KidStuf is a program at our church for kids and parents that we do the first Wednesday of each month, except December and over the summer