4 minute read
TAPS is an Opportunity For High School Girls and Their Moms to Volunteer Together
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Teen and Parent Service Organization
By Rylie and Kathy Lawrence, Residents since 2002 and 2000
What is the mission of the TAPS organization?
One of the three main pillars of TAPS service is ‘service with a joyful heart’, and that really represents what the Teen and Parent Service organization is all about.
We are an entirely volunteer run, mom and daughter service organization; we assist a lot of different charities, from volunteering at local fundraiser walks for ALS or Alzheimers to participating in fashion shows for the American Cancer Society Thrift Store. However, our strongest connection is with an organization called Love A Child, based in Bay Point, which serves mothers and children in one of the largest homeless recovery shelters in the county. We organize several events each year for and with the families that are there.
We’ve also recently been participating in collections for fire victim relief. One nice thing about being a small, local organization is that you can adjust easily to changing community needs.
Hamming it up after the American Cancer Society Thrift Shop’s fashion show in downtown Walnut Creek
What made you want to volunteer to be part of TAPS? How long have you been part of it? R
ylie joined as a freshman and is now finishing up her 4th and last year with TAPS; it is designed with a 4-year plan to take members through high school. It was started in 2002 by several Northgate area moms. We now have members who attend various local high schools, including Northgate, Carondelet, and Las Lomas.
TAPS is a great way to provide service to local charities and make an impact in our part of the Bay Area.
Why do you feel it’s important to volunteer and “give back” to the community?
We have so much more in our Northgate community than many other neighborhoods in the Bay Area. By helping others, it teaches us that people have more similarities than differences, and that even the ‘small’ things like a meal, a book, playing some games, or just listening can mean so much to others.
What are some of your best memories or experiences from your time in TAPS?
One of the projects we plan is putting on a day long ‘carnival’ for the mothers and kids at Love A Child. Rylie was responsible one year for collecting clothes and accessories for a no cost ‘boutique’ we provided for the residents. We were astonished at the generosity of so many people in our community – our entire front room of our house was filled with bags two deep, that we collected in just a week or two. It was overwhelming and memorable.
We periodically go out to do what we call Random Acts of Kindness – one year we went to downtown Walnut Creek and put money in meters that were about to expire, helped people with their grocery carts, things like that. It was interesting how small acts can turn someone’s day around. And hopefully the kindness is shared forward by those we help.
The Class of 2020 putting together care packages for teens who have been victims of sexual assault
Please share a special story about your volunteer experience?
Rylie: One of my favorite memories was participating in Jump In, where we teach the kids from Love A Child how to swim and about water safety, play games and have snacks. In my first week I was paired with a little girl about 7 years old. She was pretty afraid of the water at first, so we started out just hanging out in the kiddie pool. Every week she came back even more excited to learn how to swim. She eventually tried the “big kids” pool. By the end of the summer she was able to swim around in the big pool and jump off the diving board (with floaties of course). It was really amazing to see her development throughout the summer and help her to become comfortable in doing so. Learning how to swim is something I take for granted in my life, so it’s impactful to see how special a day at the pool is for these kids.
What advice would you give people who are thinking of joining TAPS?
If you are interested in service and would like to participate with a group of your peers, TAPS has so much to offer. The service hours themselves are very rewarding, and we have become much more aware that other people have more extreme challenges than we do. We have also learned and improved our organizational and project planning skills.
Parents are also required to participate with volunteer hours as well, some with activities and meetings, and some with varying jobs within the organization. So the time spent with TAPS becomes a shared mom and daughter experience, which can be hard to come by during the high school years.
How can people learn more about this volunteer opportunity?
This year we are accepting applicants that are currently in 8th grade (graduation year 2024). Our annual membership drive runs from January to March each year. This year it starts January 15th and closes March 15th. If you are interested in applying for membership, an application and a recommendation form are required. You can contact Kathy, who is the Membership Chair this year, at kfinucan@outlook.com for more information, or you can visit the website at www.tapservice.org for some more information. The application and recommendation forms will be available on the website after January 15th or can be emailed to you before that date.
