Salve Circle K Helps Big Sisters of R.I.

By: Samantha Iadarola
Posted In: News

Why is junior high always the most difficult period of a child’s life? Children are placed in a new environment with students from all over town and teachers for different subjects. Junior high is the time when children begin to mature and find out who they really are. Students experiment with various groups of friends. During this process children experience peer pressure, teasing and bullying, which can be detrimental to development.

Big Sisters of Rhode Island offers a unique solution to this problem. The organization reaches out to young girls in the community who are looking for a female role model to talk to and hang out with on a regular basis. The organization provides girls with a friend whom they can always count on to be there when they need it most. This is especially helpful during those tough times in junior high when girls are struggling to fit in. Being a Big Sister encourages young girls to open up to others and not be afraid to show their true identity.

On Nov. 14, I was given the amazing opportunity to host a “Bingo and Craft Night” for Big Sisters of Rhode Island as part of my membership in the Salve Circle K club. Volunteers from Big Sisters came to campus with their “Little Sisters” for a fun-filled night of meeting new people and relaxing. First, we all sat around a giant table, talked and got to know each other while enjoying pizza, soda, popcorn and chocolate-chip cookies donated by Domino’s, Nikolas’s Pizza and Shaw’s. I had the personal pleasure of sitting next to my new friend Amy, a fourth grader from Woonsocket, R.I. We discussed all our favorite things, such as our favorite food, music and hobbies. To my surprise, Amy and I had many similar interests.

After dinner came Bingo, which lasted almost an hour until every “Little Sister” won a prize. The Salve Regina bookstore donated some prizes including sweatshirts, stuffed animals and tote bags. The craft was the final activity, which involved turning ball-point pens into beautiful flowers. Each person was given two or three pens to decorate along with an assortment of fake flowers to choose from. The flower stems were taped to the end of each pen and green floral tape wrapped around the entire pen as a disguise.

At the end of the night, the Big and Little Sisters were grateful for the chance to come to Salve and bond with new people. It was the perfect experience, and convinced me to be more selfless and open-minded. Giving back to the community does not involve a huge commitment; it is more about being a friend to those who simply need someone to talk to.