Tim’s Email: “WOW^3”!

Dec 14, 2011

Family Room

As with virtually everything I have observed thus far with Casa Chiri, I see excellence. I am not trying to sound superfluous here.  Now I know that you have a vision for greater things with Kid’s Club, and I believe that God is the author of the hunger you have inside to do more and have a greater impact. But I also believe that it is important to recognize-from one who has an outside observer’s standpoint-the magnitude of what God has already done in and through you and the efforts of the Casa Chiri staff and volunteers. For now I just want to say that what you are doing is a remarkable thing.

Sharing about their day around the snack table

 

Structure-so critical in working with kids.  Everything ran like clockwork and the kid’s all knew what to expect and were completely in sync with what was going on.

A sense of Belonging. All the children I saw exhibited a comfort level with this venue. That can only come from feeling safe, and that sense of safety comes from trust in the people running the show. Kudos.

Participation– I didn’t see any kids pulling back from the various activities. Sure, the boys I worked with needed a push and were soon chomping at the bit to finish the task and start play time, but every one of them put their nose to the grindstone with just a little encouragement. This did not vary across the various stations. For example, the singing was so loud in the group next door that Jeffrey was having trouble concentrating on his X12 tables. This speaks of the Quality of the different activities they were invited into. Finally, the overall Atmosphere I sensed the entire afternoon. God was definitely present; I could feel His heart the entire time, and that’s the #1 thing I look for ALWAYS. Clearly, this is a place where He can express His nature through His people and the works being done.

Studying in the Study Room

Now, I am sure there are good days and bad days with Kids Club, but I’m also certain that the things I’ve just pointed out are an accurate baseline for the excellence of the Kids Club program. I am so happy I took the time out to visit today and dive into working with the kids.
~ Tim Kuhn

 

We are a community of people “learning together to love our neighbors as ourselves” in a Latino neighborhood in Alexandria, Virginia.

As a faith-based Christian non-profit with a small staff and over 100 volunteers, we serve alongside more than 100 families and their children (1st-12th grades) each week through our community programs.

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Our relational network of volunteers and donors reflects a diverse group of individuals from all over the Washington, D.C. metro area. As a non-profit, we rely on the community for assisting program directors on-site, being mentors, supplying the needs of our food pantry, and everything in between. Each member of our Casa community holds a unique gift, whether time, talent or treasure.