From Our RHK Executive Director: Being Seen

At RHK we have over 200 kids who come through our doors each week. Each one has their own unique personality. Some arrive excited and want to share their day with you, while others would rather go take a nap. Some are artistic, while others are athletic. Some are happy after having a good day. Others had a bad day and are clearly angry. We see every combination of emotions and personalities you can think of. We try to meet the needs of each child to the best of our ability. So, first and foremost, we pray. We pray for the Lord’s guidance to give us (staff and volunteers) wisdom and discernment so we know how to work with each child in a way that suits them the best.

Here are a few ways we have found to help them. Some kids have difficulty in places that are loud and chaotic. This upsets them quite a bit. So, we have noise canceling headphones to help them. Sometimes this is all they need and they can stay with their group. This is not always enough though. They may need to go into the “Quiet Room” where they have an adult who will sit with them and there won’t be more than 3-4 other kids in the room with them. They listen to soft music, do crafts, and discuss what they are feeling. Sometimes the kids will be able to go back into their groups and other times they stay in the Quiet Room. Currently, we are only able to have the Quiet Room open on Wednesday evenings because we do not have a volunteer for Mondays. If you know someone who would be interested in helping in our Quiet Room, please let us know. The Quiet Room helps destress a child and makes them feel calm, seen, and cared for.

We also have craft time before dinner on Mondays and Wednesdays. This time includes activities like learning how to make journals, painting, making slime, working with clay, and even learning life skills such as how to sew, where they learn how to fix a hole in their clothes and put buttons on. Their paintings were even displayed and up for auction at our annual fundraiser in September. They felt very excited knowing they were helping raise money for Rock House.

Many kids who come to RHK just want to be seen. They want to know someone at RHK cares about them. They light up when you call them by their name. It matters to them. We have a volunteer who has mini ducks in their pocket and when they “catch” a child doing something good, they “duck” the child. The child gets a duck. It is such a small gesture, but they get so excited and show everyone that they got “ducked”. This encourages good behavior and makes them feel seen. It is a win-win situation.

When I’ve had conversations with some of the past RHK kids who are now adults, I ask them why they kept coming back to RHK instead of going somewhere else. They commonly answer, “People knew me. People cared about me.”

People think volunteering at RHK is a BIG thing. It is to a child/teen. But…all you have to do is give a little of you. See a child. Know their name. Listen to them. Be Jesus with skin on.

Blessings,

Dee Lacny, Executive Director, Rock House Kids