It’s a well known fact that people can boost their moods and feel better about themselves when they help someone else. Here’s your opportunity: Horizons For Homeless Children, a Massachusetts organization that strives to “improve the lives of homeless children and their families,” is giving high school students opportunities to become “PALs” and help less fortunate children have a fun time.

Since its establishment in 1990, Horizons has helped over a thousand homeless children to receive education through their Children’s Community Centers program. This program was founded in 1994 and has been providing children living in shelters with full-time education and care–essentially serving as a pre-school.

Horizons for Homeless Children also founded the Playspace program, which operates small centers that provide homeless kids with places to learn, play, and be creative. These Playspaces always have many books, building blocks, and arts and craft materials–things that more fortunate children take for granted but seem amazing to the homeless children.

None of the Playspaces, however, are complete without PALs, or Playspace Activity Leaders. These volunteers help supervise the kids and make sure that they are safe, but also act as adult figures who take care of the kids. PALs often become mentors for the children, helping them relax and “just be kids.”

Being a PAL is a unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of other kids who are less fortunate. It is also a great way to connect with people outside of Wayland. All one needs to do in order to become a PAL is to attend a training session and make a commitment to volunteer two hours per week for six months.

With only a small slice of time that may otherwise be spent playing video games and or watching TV, high school students have the opportunity to help less fortunate kids forget about their worries and have a fun time for a couple of hours. So think about it: What will you be doing this winter?

Quote taken from www.horizonsforhomelesschildren.org.
To learn more about being a PAL, visit www.horizonsforhomelesschildren.org.