Irina just had her braces removed and what a game-changer it has been for her. We are so thankful to have been part of Irina’s journey these last two years and we truly know that she’s grown to be a resilient person who will stand up for others and who will not cave in when she meets resistance. Here’s an excerpt of a recent note from Irina: “You have changed my life. I will never be able to thank you enough for what you did. I got bullied terribly for my teeth and having braces changed that. People stopped and it was a relief to not go home emotionally scarred every day. The day I got my braces off, many people complimented me and it felt great!”
Irina is one of those kids who just took this opportunity and ran with it. Volunteering 8 hours monthly in the Latino Community Association and her church as a daycare attendant and providing lessons for the kids as well as any other tasks required. This is exactly the kind of involvement we are looking at fostering. We are sure that volunteering solidly like that for over 2 years has created a new sense of community awareness and volunteerism for Irina and all the other kids in the ASK program.