Creating Social Value Blog / Service in Action

Volunteering at the Wellesley Housing Authority

I am grateful to be part of the Barton Road After School Program. While not every day at Barton is a walk in the park, participating in the program has given me great joy and has been very insightful. Over the year at Barton, we have done tons and tons of different activities. We have made lava lamps, played board games, made snow globes, played outside, and much more. These activities are not just fun to participate in, but also fills the kids up with laughter and puts the biggest smile on their face. Regardless of how challenging of a day I have been having, seeing those smiling faces always puts me in a good mood and makes me feel like I have really made a difference. These kids come from low income housing and an array of different backgrounds. Through all of this, they can still manage to laugh, play, and have fun with you and your activities. The kids are excited to see you. It may not seem like a big deal to you to take a few hours out of your day twice a week to go down the road, but some of these kids look forward all week to seeing you. I am instantly warmed up and in a better mood when I walk in at 3:30, and see kids that have already been sitting there waiting or hear kids running to you and screaming your name. Apart from the joy it gives me, Barton Road is a real eye opener. Every day we should all be very thankful for our health, to be at Babson, and our future. I know that in a Babson environment that can be hard to realize. However, going to Barton, really makes you walk up every day feeling very thankful for your situation. Some of the kids at Barton would kill for the kind of opportunity you have.

-Nick Aloia, sophomore