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Fourth Graders Visit Westminster Neighborhood Services
Cassie Dull

By Chris Holobek, Fourth Grade Teacher

Grade 4 students have been making twice-monthly visits to Westminster Neighborhood Services on Indianapolis’s near-east side for the last two years. What started as an opportunity for the 9- and 10-year-olds to take part in a community service has blossomed into a “hard to get a ticket to” event. At the start of the year, each child went to the center in small groups, then after Winter Break, the students can select which days they want to go to help.

As the students have grown and matured, so has the program. We once spent our hour creating hygiene kits for Westminster’s homeless clients, but the students asked for more personal time with the clients. We now help those at the center with their grocery shopping in the food pantry. The students work in pairs, keeping track of the points a family can use while shopping (1-4 family members = 15 points, 5 or more family members = 20 points). Our students can out-do Vanna White while showing off a food display and urging clients to try an unusual food.

Our students and many clients are also making connections with each other. “I helped her last time” or “He’s really funny” or “That guy wanted to get some cookies and let us have them.” Even the clients look forward to having a 9- or 10-year-old child help with the shopping. Last week, I overheard one woman say, “There’s my baby – how’s school?”

When asked to share their experiences, here are some of the comments students made:

  • “I really like meeting new people and seeing what foods they like so I can try it at home.”
  • “I learned you can try new things, even if you’re nervous.”
  • “I think Westminster is an opportunity to do good.”
  • “What surprised me was some of the people had babies or little kids.”
  • “If there are this many people in that part of Indiana, how many people like that are there in the whole US?”
  • “I’ve learned that you can’t judge people by how they look.”
  • “One thing I learned is you get a good feeling when you help others. Something just goes through your body that makes you happy.”

There are very few open slots to fill between now and the end of the year. It is a wonderful feeling seeing the interactions and the connections being made during our visits.