Volunteers

[BlueHair]

My wife gave birth to twins two weeks ago. They will need to spend about a month in the Newborn ICU due to complications of premature birth and low birth weight. We have been touched by the constant support given to us by the many volunteers at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. I had no idea there were so many good people willing to donate their time to help others. When our situation settles down a bit, I would like to pay it forward so to speak. Do any of you know of a good cause that needs volunteers in the Utah County area?

[MikeWaters]

Best wishes for the twins.

Didn't Adam know of some advocacy group for the homeless in Utah County that is working towards expanding services?

[Surfah]

Originally Posted by BlueHair

My wife gave birth to twins two weeks ago. They will need to spend about a month in the Newborn ICU due to complications of premature birth and low birth weight. We have been touched by the constant support given to us by the many volunteers at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. I had no idea there were so many good people willing to donate their time to help others. When our situation settles down a bit, I would like to pay it forward so to speak. Do any of you know of a good cause that needs volunteers in the Utah County area?

I volunteered through BYUSA at Slate Canyon Juvenile Detention Center. I gave up two hours, two nights a week to be a friend essentially to these kids. It was pretty rewarding.

[BlueHair]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Best wishes for the twins.

Didn't Adam know of some advocacy group for the homeless in Utah County that is working towards expanding services?

Thanks. I also saw an ad for Habitat for Humanity. I'm not a very good builder, but I know how to drywall and roof.

[Frank Ryan]

Originally Posted by BlueHair

Thanks. I also saw an ad for Habitat for Humanity. I'm not a very good builder, but I know how to drywall and roof.

That's cool you want to give back, best of luck to your newly bigger family

[Jeff Lebowski]

Food and Care Coalition in downtown Provo. They always need help.

There is also a United Way office in Provo that maintains a list of service projects/opportunities available in the valley.

Best of luck with the twins.

[BlueHair]

Originally Posted by surfah33

I volunteered through BYUSA at Slate Canyon Juvenile Detention Center. I gave up two hours, two nights a week to be a friend essentially to these kids. It was pretty rewarding.

That sounds good, too. What kind of things did you do with them?

[il Padrino Ute]

Yes, best wishes for the little ones. They'll be remembered in prayers at this house.

I'm sure Mendenhall could use some help keeping his players out of trouble this summer.

[Surfah]

Originally Posted by BlueHair

That sounds good, too. What kind of things did you do with them?

Lots of stuff. Most of the activities have to be pre-approved and you have to go through an orientation and training session because some of those kids are in there for serious crimes. But we'd do art stuff, music, play sports, play games, seasonal stuff, and even made fondue once. I remember once we wrote letters to servicemen in Iraq. We had to screen all the letters going out before we sent them because some of these kids are pretty messed up. But it was an eye opening experience and humbling. Some of them expressed regret at having lost the opportunity to serve because of their felonies. One thanked the soldiers for fighting to preserve the freedom he threw away.

[TripletDaddy]

Best thing you can do to pay it forward....once your kids are 1, go back and visit expectant mothers of twins or HOMs on bedrest in extended stay.

They will be very grateful for your visit, and will be very inspired by seeing your healthy babies.

My wife and I go back to the hospital where our trips were born....each Halloween we carve pumpkins, each Christmas we take some presents, all for the moms on extended stay.

Often, these women are in bed for 4 or more weeks (in my wife's case, months) and either are going stir crazy or are giving up mentally and dont see the need to continue. they would rather just "give up" and have the babies preemie. But they dont get that every day longer in the womb is possibly one less day in the NICU.

Anyway, this is something we do as a family and have loved the experiences. We have never left with dry eyes when we go visit these women. And it makes us remember our stay at the hospital and the NICU.

Congrats on your twins.