July 25, 2016
Written by Audrey Rife, Marketing Intern at Rockwell Automation
The COA Youth and Family Goldin Center is a special place – I could tell as soon as I walked through the door. The eager children and dedicated staff members welcomed us with open arms. The children I met during United Way’s Intern Day of Action made volunteering a memorable experience and their excitement made the literacy fair a great success.
That day the gym was packed with interns excited to work with the children. I helped out by guiding the six to eight year old age group around different activities at the fair. It took some time to coax the shy ones out of their shells, but soon the room filled up with laughter and energy.
My favorite activity was reading with the children because most of them are still learning how to do it. The reading level varied in our group, but every child wanted to try. The volunteers and children teamed up and worked through books together. Seeing the nervousness in the children’s eyes slowly transform to pride after every accomplished word was inspiring.
The best moment of that day happened just before we said our goodbyes to students. A seven-year-old boy named Tre told me he went to the COA every day during the summer and that it was his favorite place. When I asked him why he couldn’t even put it into words. He just beamed with the biggest smile. I could see what COA really means to him, I could see how I had helped make a difference.
Knowing places such as COA Goldin Center exist in Milwaukee gives me peace of mind. These safe havens strengthen our community and give children a place where they can thrive. I’m happy Rockwell Automation and United Way partner each year for Intern Day of Action. Not only did it give local interns a change of pace and chance to promote literacy, but an opportunity to give back to our community.