At this time of year, we'd like to reflect upon the many things we are grateful for at Mychal's Learning Place.  We are  so thankful for all of the support we receive throughout the year - whether it's volunteering with our students, financial and in-kind donations, help on event planning committees, or input from our Board of Directors -

WE APPRECIATE IT ALL & THANK YOU! 

A volunteer's perspective of helping out

at Mychal's Learning Place

We are incredibly fortunate to have some wonderful volunteers at Mychal's.  We see it as a win-win-win situation... we receive extra help in our programs, the students love our volunteers, and each volunteer gets something different from their experience and time spent at Mychal's Learning Place.  We recently asked one of our favorite volunteers, Max Thomas, to tell us about his experience and what it means to him to volunteer at Mychal's.  In his own words, here is his personal account.

I discovered Mychal's Learning Place through my volunteer organization Amigos Unidos.  The first time I stepped into Mychal's, honestly, I was very timid and had no idea what to expect.  But that changed almost instantly.  Within the next few hours I felt very welcome by the very friendly students and the caring staff.  From that moment, I knew that I would love to pursue volunteering at this wonderful organization.  Mychal's Learning Place is one of the most extraordinary things I have experienced.  Seeing the joy it puts onto the students faces makes me feel indescribably happy. I feel like I have become part of the Mychal's team, the staff is all warm hearted, kind, and welcoming people.  Feeling like a part of this, for me, is the greatest privilege I could ever hope for.  Being surrounded by the students and having them in my life makes me feel like the luckiest person in the world.  I honestly couldn't picture my life without these students and without this organization. I would just like to thank Ed, Ellen, David, and the team of staff for giving me the opportunity and for such a great privilege to be a part of Mychal's.

It is amazing to see first hand, how Mychal's Learning Place guides and assists the students.  I have seen how it has helped them in a multitude of fields, such as math, writing, and personal hygiene, and the many other classes offered at Mychal's. Mychal's Learning Place's mission is to assist the students in building self-esteem and to increase their independence.  They do a wonderful job encouraging the students in order to accomplish these goals. They believe that people who have developmental disabilities offer so much to our society and should be given opportunities that encourage them so they can be best that they can.  I can honestly tell you: they do just this.

I look up to the students at Mychal's Learning Place and they inspire me every day.  They accomplish so much each time I am there. They take on difficult tasks, work hard, accomplish them, and almost always have a smile on their faces.  In addition to the joy I see in them, it also reminds me that I have no excuse not to work my hardest.

Mychal's has shaped me into the person I am today and has molded what path I would like to pursue later in life. Knowing how I have impacted the student's lives and knowing how they have impacted my life, after volunteering for only two years, I have the desire to pursue a career path that involves aiding persons with developmental disabilities to be independent, productive, and proud.  

Max is a very special young man and we appreciate him so much!  He has also brought his family into the mix.  His mom, Anette, visits often and helps out when she can. Even Max's grandparents have shown wonderful support after their first visit to Mychal's. Max has definitely become part of the Mychal's family and we're ready to hire him if and when the time comes that he wants to join our staff officially!

THANK YOU, MAX!

Prom 2016 with Aubree, Andy & Elena