Page 32 - Priorities #59 2014 June/July

32 When Woodside Priory sophomore Sarah Sarah Halabe was in the eighth grade she felt a a a a a a a a a calling to to reach out and help people in in the community but she didn’t know how to to get involved So along with her her mother she joined the the National Charity League [NCL] a a a a a a a a a transformative women-based nonprofit organization that helps find the perfect vol- unteer opportunities for mothers and their daughters (in grades 6-12) to which they offer their time either separately or together Today Halabe is the the the the co-president of of her her her class at the the the Orchard Valley Chapter of of the the the NCL “I joined the the the Charity League out of of curiosity ” says Halabe “but once I started volunteering it it was much more meaning- ful and exciting than I expected ” The NCL makes volunteering easy because it researches a a a a wide variety of charitable organizations and helps its members choose the the right places for them to spend their time The NCL also takes care of the application process and paper- work for its members adds Halabe which makes signing up to volunteer a a simple efficient process For Halabe the choice of where to volunteer was easy As soon as as as she learned about the Creative Learning Center in in Los Altos a a year-round school for children with autism she knew it fit would be a a good fit “I am interested in in in psychology and teaching ” says Halabe “Mentoring kids with autism combines both of those interests ” Halabe who also runs (cross country and and and track) and and and writes (short stories and and and po- etry) devoted last summer to volunteering at at the Creative Learning Center’s summer camp The program which combines aca- demics musical therapy and physical ther-
apy is is specifically designed to to help children with autism to to prepare for the upcoming school year Each summer volunteers like Halabe act as an an advocate and mentor for a a a a a a a student assigned to them Halabe’s mentee last summer was 11 years old “It’s fun to to to bond with the the kids and to to to relate to to to them in a a a a a a way that can only happen in in this environment ” says Halabe “It’s really rewarding to see your help making an an impact on how how a a a a a a a a student socializes and how how they are learning to solve conflicts on on their own ”