The Importance of your time

Have you ever thought about how important your time and availability is to the children in your community, or your family? I learned about the importance of time and availability from a special group of young people.

Seven years ago I worked at the John Howard Society of Kingston Ontario, coordinating an academic support program for children of prisoners. Prior to that time, I knew nothing about that population or their struggles. I was quite shocked when I learned that children of prisoners are five to six times more likely to become involved in criminal behavior than any other segment of the at risk youth population. Clearly, they are the most at risk, of at risk youth.

The same research indicates however, that one to one tutoring in such areas as math and literacy can do much to reverse the statistic. So while I worked at the John Howard Society I matched children of prisoners with community volunteers who went into Kingston area schools on a weekly basis to tutor in math and reading. The tutoring was and is important because practically all of the children are in modified learning classes and reading well below grade level. The work related to supporting this population can get discouraging because you realize that you are not giving the children as much help as they need.

But over the years the children and their families taught me that even more important than the academic instruction they receive, is the time and availability of their tutor on an ongoing regular basis. It is revealed in comments like, “the presence of the tutor in the life of my child is the one bright spot in our lives in an otherwise hellish existence.” This was said by a mother whose life at the time, was at the mercy of the equally bureaucratic, penal, social service and educational systems.

Another parent said, “I can actually get my child out of bed on the days that the tutor comes.” One child simply stated; “my tutor is awesome.” The children taught me that the most important aspect of our program was that the tutors are available and physically present in their lives. The impact of having a tutor seems to communicate to the children, “I believe in you,” and “you matter to me.”

If you’re wondering how to make a difference in the lives of people in your sphere of influence, why not take the opportunity to offer your time and availability? You will be offering the greatest gift you could ever extend to another person. You may also initiate a legacy of hope and encouragement both for now and for generations to come.

Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was two years old, Terry Harris in the opinion of many experts within the medical and education professions, would never walk, talk, read, write or go to a regular school. It was recommended to his parents that he beplaced in an institution. In 1995 Terry graduated from Brock University with a B.A. in English Literature and obtained a degree in marriage and family therapy in 1999 from Tyndale Seminary.