Fearfully and Wonderfully Made are You!

This year Homework House started their First Girls Night Out for our fifth grade young ladies who are heading into middle school. The purpose of this event was to honor the girls, talk about the transition from fifth to sixth grade, and to encourage high academic and personal standards. Pink tablecloths were donated by one of our parents, day old flowers from a ministry on Skid Row sat beautifully as centerpieces on the tables, mom's prepared delicious food, and volunteers helped the night run smoothly.

Maria, a volunteer who is a Zumba teacher, lead a dance with Aileen, Danielle, and Arleht to kick off the night. The group got everyone up and dancing and helped the girls to feel united. We held hands, prayed for God's blessing for the night, and mom's began to serve the young ladies a meal.

As we were eating, Maritza and Brenda (two sixth grade girls in our teen program) were interviewed by Rosy Razo, Program Support Specialist, about what middle school was like. The girls asked questions about bullying, what the locker rooms were like, where students ate lunch, and what would they do if they got lost on campus.

Melissa Sanchez, Program Assistant, then facilitated a game and spoke about how each person is given resources but what matters most is how they use what they have been given to the best of their ability. She shared her own story about being a first generation college student and reinforced the theme of seeking out others for help and to use Homework House as a resource for years to come. Ali Clark, K-5 Program Director, then played a song called "Measure of Beauty" and had the girls reflect quietly about what makes them beautiful. She lead a discussion on what society says makes you a woman and then talked about what real women are like. It was definitely a night to remember!