SMILES at Kids Cafe

Connor M.

3-21-09

Kids' Café Article

            The newly-formed Windham Middle School S.M.I.L.E.S. (Spreading Meaningful Irreplaceable Life Experiences Selflessly) had their second community service activity this past Thursday, March 19^th.  Fourteen 8^th graders volunteered at the Kids' Café in Manchester, NH.  Everyone had a great time and the students grew attached to the kids they were helping.

            The Kids' Café is an organization which is part of the Salvation Army that gives the inner-city kids of Manchester a safe place to hang out and have fun after school.  The Kids' Café provides the kids with a meal and some fun activities to do.  Middle School S.M.I.L.E.S. volunteers helped the younger kids eat and set the tables before the older kids arrived. 

            After dinner, all the kids went to different activities in the gym, game room, art room, and computer lab.  In the gym, we had a fun game of nerf-dodgeball with some of the younger children.  Everybody in the gym had a great time and enjoyed themselves.  Other volunteers played some exciting games of air hockey with the older kids.

            Eventually, we had to leave.  All of the 8^th graders said goodbye to their new friends and many hoped to visit again.