I initially established contact with Donna in March 2005, when I saw an interview with a member of Focus's board of directors on NBC30.  I expressed interest in her Life Skills program, and we met a month later.  Donna encouraged me to volunteer that summer, I highly enjoyed it and became rejuvenated emotionally.  I was formally hired in September 2005.

 My designated title is Direct Care Staff, which means I help develop the most ideal milieu, or surroundings, for our children. I deal directly with the clients, particularly in the field of academics. I help the kids with their homework, and guide them through their assignments without doing them outright. This teaches them to seek help when they need it and not get frustrated when an academic task may be overwhelming. I try to help the kids in a way where they still do most of the heavy lifting, but I point them in the right direction.

In a more general sense, I also help them learn appropriate "self-care" or basic ways to listen to what their bodies are telling them, for with most of these kids it is difficult for them to communicate their needs/wants. I help give them snacks, teach the kids how to interact socially with one another, and try to foster a warm, compassionate, but disciplinarian rapport with them. I also hope to one day add a musical component to the program, for I truly believe in the soothing therapeutic benefits of music and other forms of art.