Yesterday the SaMP Kids had an opportunity to learn about Building Veterans.
Building Veterans is a peer to peer supportive recovery program with a holistic approach. Program participants live in supportive housing, attend mandatory classes and either work, attend school or volunteer in the community. They support those who struggle with personal issues and addictions. Each person sets his own pace within the parameters of the program. Participants are encouraged to work together to refocus and reintegrate into the larger community. They partner with other organizations to identify those who would be best served by our peer to peer immersion program. We focus on providing help for those struggling with addictions associated with PTSD, head and brain trauma, and depression.
Their motto is “Building Communities Builds People. Building People Builds Communities”
The kids all listened intently as Adam explained the program and the people they are helping. The topic was pretty heavy for the kids, learning that the men struggle with mental health and addiction issues, who have struggled with staying “out of trouble” but it was so good for the kids to see that even those men who have struggled in the past are worthy of our love and compassion. That they are human and when they need help there is someone there to help them. What a beautiful lesson for all of our kids to learn. The kids asked questions about the men in the program and they worked with Adam to form a plan to help. Over the next few weeks the SaMP Kids will work together to create a menu for the monthly family style meal for the men in the program, visit the men to play games to develop a sense of community, and will try to help the men establish a meditation space in their housing.
After the presentation the kids worked on a small side project to send cards to a little boy named KC who is facing his 17th hospital admission in his 17 month life. The kids worked on cards to send to his mom and hopefully KC will get lots of smiles from the love the kids sent.
SaMP Kids – Compassionate Kids Club is a weekly group focused on compassion and community service. Kids of all ages will come together to choose a service based project that will help teach them the importance of compassion for others and how their service big and small can make a difference in our community.
We are still in need of ASL proficient volunteers to help at our weekly meetings if you are able and willing to assist one of our regular attendees get the most out of our weekly meet ups please consider signing up to help for a week or two throughout the year. http://signup.com/go/HtyNBNC
SaMP Kids is a free LEARN program thanks to the support of our sponsors and donors.
