Warm Springs Rez

The interns arrive today which means summer begins and it’s going to be a busy/wonderful 11 weeks. Last week, I got to go to the Warm Springs Reservation, met our contact person Don, and see the place where we do Kid’s Club. It was a great visit and encouraging seeing what’s happening down there. The one thing that really stuck with me was when we were talking with Don, he was really excited about Kid’s Club. He pointed out that there were 50 deaths last year and they are on pace to exceed that this year. Warm Springs is small place with about 3,000 people. Because there are so many deaths, it can be a very dark place, especially for the kids. Don said He liked that Kid’s Club provides a time where the kids can just be kids, they get a chance to just have fun and for a time leave behind the deaths and funerals that are too common.

When Don said that, it made me happy to be part of that moment of light and joy for the kids. It also reminded me of Adventures in Odyssey, a radio program I used to listen to as a kid, and the opening monologue where Mr. Whittaker said that Whit’s End was a place where “most of all, it is a place where kids of all ages can just be kids.” While what we do is no Whit’s End and I’m no Mr. Whittaker, it made happy to think that in a small way, we’re helping the kids to be kids and brighten their lives.