What’s a Buddy?
When you sign up to be a Pause Buddy, you aren’t doing us a favor. You are telling a kiddo, “I see you. I want to spend time with you. I will show up for you.” Our buddies are the reason Pause is able to serve a wide variety of kids!
At events, kids with assigned buddies join in on the fun with a group of peers and their built-in best bud. If they need a break to get some energy out, no problem! Buddies love to visit the Backyard just as much as our kids - it’s our indoor gross motor room equipped with swings, a trampoline, zip line and more! When kids need a quiet space, buddies will join them for a break in one of our Reflections rooms - more commonly known as our “Ocean” and “Nature” rooms. These rooms are relaxing spaces featuring under-the-sea and outdoor nature theming and are calming to little bodies and brains by their design and are available to kids any time they choose!
Meet one of our favorite buddies, Aidan! He’s a second-year student at the University of Cincinnati majoring in Secondary Education (Mathematics) and a certificate in Creative Writing. Aidan loves to read/write contemporary fiction, cook, run, hike, and hang out with friends.
Aidan shared with us, “I chose to volunteer with Pause because I love helping kids and their families, and I want to become a high school math teacher after college. I continue to volunteer at Pause because I have had a great time getting to know the kids, staff, and other volunteer members! My favorite part about volunteering with Pause is that I get to make more memories that I will never forget and make me happy to think about. I feel like I am making an impact by making everyone feel included when, for many, it can feel like a struggle to feel included at school and other public settings.”
Our staff thinks he’s a rockstar, too! Pause Volunteer Coordinator, Emily Denlinger shared, “Aidan is amazing! He has been volunteering with Pause for almost a year now. He started coming to Pause to fulfill service requirements for a class, but has continued to come back well after he met his requirements. To me, that shows his heart and commitment to our families and our cause. He is a faithful volunteer that continually shows up, attends extra volunteer training and is always down to help when we need an extra hand. He loves our kids so well and does it all with a huge smile on his face. He is such a gift to our volunteer team, it's truly an honor to work with him!”
Pause Resilience Coordinator, Samantha Story shared, “Aidan’s smile is contagious! He has the sweetest heart and truly loves being a friend to our Pause friends. Aidan will jump in to serve in any capacity from hanging out as a group leader with our teens to giving a kiddo some 1 on 1 time serving as a buddy. We love having Aidan as a volunteer and watching the connections he is making with our kids!”
Aidan - you are such an incredible addition to our team of buddies! Thank you for your commitment to Pause and to our kiddos! We are thrilled to be a part of your training in your future education career!
This is CAN DO. This is COMMUNITY. This is YOUR SUPPORT.
