Kicking around a soccer ball. Flying paper airplanes and whirligigs. Refereeing races. Batting balloons. Bowling down paper cups. Laughing at jokes and riddles. Listening. Asking questions. Watching. Paying attention.
That’s the volunteer work Nick Harris does with the kids at our Kids First Family Shelter.
He comes once a week after school lets out. COTS calls his sessions “Structured Play,” and Nick says the structure all comes from the kids.
“That’s what I’m learning,” he says. “You might come in with an agenda, but kids want to do what they want to do. And this is their time. I don’t want it to feel like another classroom.” So, Nick doesn’t mind if the game or project he brought never makes it out of the box. He’s happy doing what the kids want.
Most of all, they want attention, Nick says. “Really, it’s hard not to get emotional about it sometimes when you see how little they’re asking for. They’re in this very difficult period of their lives. If I can just for a moment be something stable and positive in their lives, that’s great.”
“He’s like a big bear,” Case Manager Wendy Lindberg says. “He comes in here with this infectious smile and this ‘Let’s get this party started’ attitude. He learns everybody’s name and makes them feel great.”
“The last time he was here [before the Shelter in Place order], there were only a few kids around,” Wendy says. “And it was so nice to see them getting one-on-one time. They didn’t want him to leave when it was over.”
Nick is the General Manager of Petaluma Coffee and Tea. He discovered he wanted to help COTS last year, while participating in the Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership program. The group learned about local nonprofits. “I decided that COTS was the best place I could give back to my community.”
“What I really like about COTS is that it’s a place where people can feel normal and valued,” Nick says. “That’s the first step in getting back on your feet. What I think is the biggest issue is the degrading of people who are homeless, thinking of them as ‘less than.’ That is scary and terrible in my mind.”
Nick and his wife Ashley (who’s on the board of Petaluma Bounty) are keeping Petaluma Coffee and Tea open in this crazy time. And he’s eager to get back to COTS when he’s allowed. In the meantime, he’s working on his cars, his record collection and his art work. He was a sculpture major at SSU and works in everything from styrofoam to bronze.
His advice to people thinking about volunteering: “Think about what interests you. But be flexible, too. If you give without caveats you might be able to provide what someone else needs to get them through.”
Thank you, Nick!
Show your support by donating today!
Want to read more stories about our volunteers? Visit our volunteer appreciation homepage by clicking here!
Share Nick’s story with your friends and family: