Pals is bringing people together
Dedicated to creating a positive influence for local children, Pals is kicking off another year of giving to the community.
Pals is a university affiliated service club which focuses on creating role-models for youth in the community in a big-brother/big-sister type volunteer program.
Pals Program Director Maggie Lundholm said about 40 children ages 6 to 15 are involved in Pals. Most of the children are from single-parent households or children who would possibly benefit from having a mentor. The children are each paired with a Utah State University student volunteer based on their gender, common interests and personalities.
Pals volunteers are asked such things on the application as their hobbies, religious preference and the age group of child they would like to be a mentor for. The volunteers are required to spend two hours a week with their Pals, and have group activities with the rest of the volunteers and children twice a month, she said.
Pals’ officers have spent the last month pairing volunteers with their Pals and planning group activities such as an ice cream social and a Halloween carnival this month. Other group activities planned are laser tag and an arts and crafts night, Lundholm said.
“The kids and volunteers will make picture frames and get their pictures taken with their Pals to put in the them,” said Kristin King, Val R. Christensen Service Center photographer.
Group activities are usually held on the third floor of the Taggart Center outside of the Service Center and are planned months in advance.
“The officers have been absolutely amazing when it comes to being committed, working hard, and getting things done,” Lundholm said. “They are all very enthusiastic about making progress in the program this year.”
Right now there are about 25 volunteers, but Lundholm said the program needs more. Volunteers have to have reliable transportation, be in good academic standing with the university and go through a background check with the Logan Police Department. Applications can be picked up in the Service Center – Room 332 in the TSC, she said.
“Our No. 1 goal in Pals this year is to give the kids a chance to have positive influences in their lives and to get a lot of people involved within the community,” King said.