Partnering With Our Local Schools
At Forensic Fluids Laboratories (FFL) we are always looking for ways to give back to our community. One of our three chosen Partner Charities is “Community Schools” and throughout the year we look to engage with, and support programs offered by local, public school systems.
Our neighborhood school, Lincoln Elementary (Kalamazoo Public Schools), provides us the ability to participate in periodic activities and long-term programs. Periodic activities include events such as Visiting Readers where FFL team members sign up to read to a class for 20-30 minutes for special events such as Halloween or Read Across America Day. We also collect new and used books to donate to the school library.
Another vital service in which we participate is the YMCA After-School Mentoring program which identifies children who are behind grade level in academics and/or behavior and maturity, or who have experienced a life-changing event for which they need support. For over a year, two of our team members, Alissar and Tyler, have been consistently volunteering their time, one day per week for about 45 minutes. They provide focused, one-on-one time to assist a student with homework and spend time to have fun.
Alissar’s mentee will be a fifth-grade student and struggles with math, reading, and writing. Alissar states, “I love how very creative she is, inventing new games for us to play each week! When it comes to homework, she easily becomes frustrated, so I help guide her to stay on track.”
Tyler’s mentee is a fourth-grade student who is behind in his reading and math skills. Tyler shared, “There is not a single positive male role model in his life, so consistent, one-on-one time is very important for his development. We work on homework, and he LOVES sports, so we play a lot of basketball!”
There is no need to be ‘good with kids’ as the children are accepting of you as you are. To us, the time we spend with these children seems minimal, and we sometimes wonder if we are making a difference. This may be the only consistency or attention a child receives and that can have a huge impact on their lives. Knowing we are a positive influence in a child’s life is amazing! And there is no better feeling than the smiles, laughter, cards, and hugs.