A personal reflection from volunteer and donor, Rob, on the students who have enriched his life and strengthened his faith.
“I first became involved with RHP during the COVID time period. I had been volunteering at West Millbrook Middle School, helping students during their math classes. When COVID hit, that ended and I started looking for other opportunities. A friend at church mentioned RHP, so I contacted them.
I had never heard of RHP before, but their mission sounded like something with which I wanted to be involved. It has been a wonderful experience. I am mainly focused on the Homework Help outreach and the students I have met there have greatly enriched my life.
While helping them with their English and schoolwork, they tell me about their cultures and the lives they have led, and I come to think of them as “my kids”.
One experience that will always stay with me is a 7th grader from Afghanistan. He was not thrilled with schoolwork. “It’s boring” he would say, but the real problem was that it was very hard to learn science and social studies when you were just beginning to learn to speak English. But he came to Homework Help every day. We got along, and eventually his “it’s boring” comment became our inside joke.
His second year, he decided to go out for the football team. I told him I wanted to come to his game and he told me not to because his team was bad. I went anyway. He was right—they were bad, but the highlight for me was when he looked over to the stands, saw me and waved!
My own sons would not have done that. They would have been too embarrassed and put their heads down. Five years later, although I don’t see him regularly, as his family has purchased their own house and moved a few miles away, when he does come by he makes sure to stop and talk with me and let me know how his life is going.
As Jesus taught in Matthew 25, we are to welcome the strangers to our land and take them in. RHP provides me with an opportunity to live out that commandment. While many may be of different faiths, my time with them gives them an opportunity to see how Jesus lives in me and provides a witness to them.“