Happy Labor Day

This Labor Day weekend and every day Arizonans for Children thanks and honors those that selflessly volunteer to improve the lives of children in foster care while helping families heal. Your work optimizes the very reason we celebrate Labor Day!

"Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country."

Arizonans for Children volunteers help ensure the well-being of vulnerable children is met.  Our Visitation Center and Supervised Visits volunteers that check the families in, offering a welcoming smile, keeping delicious pastries out for all to enjoy and keeping the areas clean and safe for everyone.  

Volunteers host a variety of classes, workshops and activities that help the families engage and bond.  
Arizonans for Children has been helping families work towards reunification since 2002!

The newest activity is the Arizonans for Children STAR program which is Story Time and Reading.  Volunteers choose a book and read to the families encouraging the parents and children to participate.  This is beneficial in demonstrating the importance of early childhood reading time.  An extra 15 minutes out of your day....a lunch break or after work will have a drastic impact of these families.

Becoming a Mentor for a school age child in foster care is another volunteer opportunity.  Volunteers pick a child up from their foster placement, most times a group home setting and take them out in to the community to experience one on one time while learning valuable life lessons.  Children in foster care change placements on average 5 times during their time in care, some many more that 5.  That means a new home, new foster siblings, new rules, new school, new caregiver, literally new everything.  A Mentor becomes the one consistent in the child's life.  With 8 hours a month and a 1 year commitment to the child; mentors offer hope and consistency in a uncertain future.

Thank you for ensuring the well-being of these families is being met.

For more information on volunteering with Arizonans for Children go to:

http://www.arizonansforchildren.org/