A Day in the Life of a Volunteer at GLA

 

Rise as early as you need to get ready for the day. Breakfast is self-serve at Toddler House.

7:35    Walk down to the Main House (15 – 20 minutes)

8:00    You start your day with your first angel; babies work on sorting toys, verbalizing, eye-contact

9:00    2nd child…perhaps go for a walk around the community or to local venders

10:00 3rd child…perhaps work on physical development/challenges; building leg strength in jumpers and walkers; finger-walking, pushing around rolling toys to walk behind

11:00 Tooth-brushing with all babies who have a certain number of teeth

11:30 4th child for a ½ hour or hang out in the nursery with children who don’t have volunteers

12:00 Lunch served at Main House; use internet, eat, read

1:00    5th child…perhaps go to the trampoline; blow bubbles; look at gifts from forever families

2:00    6th child…children sleepy…read stories, work on fine motor skills with small snacks; dance and sing to the music

3:00    7th child…active play; kicking ball around, stacking big blocks; riding on big toys

4:00    8th child…on hot days, fill tubs for bubble baths to cool down

4:45       Clean up starts. Arranging chairs back to original position, pick up toys, empty garbage, sweep floor, and bring anything under the roof that could be damaged in the rain

5:00    Return last child to nursery and come down to set table for supper

5ish    Supper; help in the kitchen with dishes after supper

6:15- later Return to Toddler House (where we live). If it’s light enough, you can walk back up to the house.

Evenings can be spent doing laundry, taking showers, watching movies, reading, using internet (maybe, if there’s no cloud cover), visiting with other volunteers ….

Note that you have 8 hours of work with 8 babies. You take one child per hour to work on physical, social, or emotional development. Other children who steal your heart can be taken out after supper.

At any time throughout the day, if a child has a strange fever, rash, or anything unusual , take the child to see the head nurse or Dixie.

If supplies (diapers, cream, soap, hand sanitizer) are low, come down to ask for more.

Any questions that you have, you can ask other volunteers, volunteer supervisor, volunteer coordinator, office staff…many offer to help.