Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 23, 1995 TAG: 9510230094
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: NANCY GLEINER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Age: 13
School: Northside Middle School
Grade: Eighth grade
What she does: Kimberly used to go to the Virginia Veterans Care Center once a week at dinner time to help residents who are unable to feed themselves. The patients there suffer from Alzheimer's disease, dementia and other debilitating illnesses.
Because of a policy change limiting feeding assistants to relatives and staff, Kimberly is no longer able to help anyone other than her grandfather, who is a patient there.
``I had my buddies I helped,'' she said. ``I fed them and talked with them. I liked talking with old people. They don't have that many people come up to them very often.
``Now, I go almost every day to feed my grandfather. And I still say hello to the other men.''
Lisa Reynolds, who knows Kimberly through their church, nominated her because, ``When I heard about her going to the Veteran's Care Center, I was so impressed.
``One man started to cry at the end of her visit,'' Reynolds said.``She always visited him every week. He said, `I love her like she was my own daughter.'
``Some of the men there are pretty ill. It didn't phase her at all. She went right in and helped any way she could. A lot of adults can't even go in there and do that.''
At school, Kimberly volunteers with severely handicapped students. She works with them on special computers, talks with them, helps clean up and does whatever they need done.
``I like making them feel good. When I get older, I want to do something with the handicapped and it's helping to prepare me. It's giving me a touch of what it's like.
``They're [the students are] so neat; they're just so special. Even though they can't do a lot of things we can, they can do a lot of things we can't. They get something big out of little things.''
Kimberly is also involved in peer tutoring, working one-on-one with students, helping them study or do their homework.
School activities: Kimberly, an honor student, is a member of the National Junior Honor Society and has been a member of the Odyssey of the Mind team.
Other activities: Kimberly is involved in her church and its youth group. ``We do a lot of service projects, making quilts for the elderly, visit nursing homes, things like that.
What she likes best: ``I like making people feel good, having people smile. Though they might not be able to tell you, you can tell they're really glad you're there. It makes you feel good.''
What's hardest: ``Seeing the people progress and get worse. Some have passed away or gone into the hospital and that was hard. You get attached to them, sitting with them every week.
``When you work with the handicapped, you have to be careful what you say. You don't want to say something that might not be good for them.''
What she's learned: ``I've learned the elderly are really special people. If people take time to listen to their stories about their life, you can really learn a lot from them. Above all, they're really unique.
``I've learned what I want to do when I get older. I want to work with people who are disabled or handicapped.
``It takes a lot of patience. I found I have a lot of patience working with the old people.
``Working with the handicapped takes patience big time. I have a lot of compassion that I didn't know I had. I guess it takes a lot to do something like that.''
Extra Credit nominees must be 12-18 and volunteering of their own choice. If part of a group, the teen must have initiated the activity.
Send in the teen's name, age, phone number, what they're doing, for how long, and how it has helped someone else. Mail nominations to Extra Credit, c/o Features Department, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010
This twice-monthly column spotlights a teen-ager who is using his or her own initiative to make a difference in our neighborhoods, schools and communities. We think they deserve a public thank-you for helping other people. Nominations are sent in by our readers (see guidelines below).
by CNB