Lauren's Story

When did you first get involved with CCFI?

I first started volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club of Norman in September of 2018.

Why were you moved to join CCFI as a volunteer?

I was moved to start volunteering with Boys & Girls Club as part of a volunteer requirement for one of my courses at OU. I decided to continue volunteering with the Club because I loved being able to form deeper relationships with the girls I mentor and with other members of the Club. I love being able to pour into others and make them feel loved and supported.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering?

I enjoy the community I’ve found with volunteering and the relationships that I’ve built both with the CCFI staff and the Boys & Girls Club members.

What do you feel is the biggest impact CCFI has made on the community?

I think CCFI’s biggest impact is the way that they support the Club members by giving them a safe space to be themselves. The Club doesn’t ask these kids to make an effort to act a certain way in order to receive attention and care; they just let the kids be kids and the Club is there to give them what they may need in that moment.

What would you like to say to encourage others to volunteer at CCFI?

I would encourage others to volunteer with CCFI by saying that CCFI a really diverse group of volunteers to support the diverse group of kids that CCFI supports. In order to foster an environment where kids don’t have to pretend to be someone they’re not, CCFI needs authentic adult volunteers to be role models whose actions prove that there is power in being yourself and that others will love you just the way you are.