Cool Volunteer Position

“I landed an awesome volunteering position on Tues.!!!! I'm going to be working at a place called The Family Tree. I'll be mentoring a 16 yr. old girl who is pregnant right now. I'm going to help her find all the resources she needs for herself and her baby. I'll be educating her about what is going to be happening in the next several months and helping her prepare for all the changes. I will also be teaching her how to care for herself and the baby after it is born. Bascially, this will be a one on one of the presentations I used to do for h.s. students. I'm really excited and I just wanted to share.”

“do you teach them how not to have another baby until they are a grump (grownup)?”

“Good for you, Newgirl! We need more people in this world of ours to help each other out. Hope everything goes well for you and for the girl!”

“Hey newgirl! Cool job- should be a pretty good experience. It sounds like you've been pretty busy lately! Glad to hear from you.”

“Pathman, that is definitely a subject I will eventually speak w/ her about. But right now she is a scared 16 yr. old and probably just needs some support and encouragement. My main objective is to give her a reality check about how her world is going to change and then to show her that she can be an excellent parent, excellent student, and achieve success.”

“Too bad you didn't hook up with her a couple of months ago.”

“Aero, I'm absolutely swamped! But I really wanted to do this. Don't think it doesn't benefit me too, it makes me feel geniunely wonderful inside to help young women in this position. There is alot to navigate and she was smart enough to ask for help.”

“Now, if you can just get her into backpacking.........”

“Well Limpy, there is no use dwelling on that. She needs to move forward and figure out how to make it work from this point.

Hey Aero, Family Tree gets the proceeds from the "Parade of Playhouses" at Rimrock Mall. Do you know the one? You should go and bid on one for little Aerogal. The houses are little masterpieces.”

“I think they are going to have little fire station one this year. Cool. Geez, I'm stoked about this.”

“Good attitude NG, take care of that baby first, but remember the mother can't take care of the baby unless she takes care of herself.”

“Did you get into this program through the university?”

“Good luck, Newgirl. I hope the girl seriously listens to you, since you will be giving up some of your own precious freetime to help her.”

“Noogie, I'm not dwelling and I am pretty certain you do agree with me on that point. Yes??? No judgements here.
Its totally neat that she'll have someone who really knows what she's talking about, to counsel her.”

“Actually I did, in a round about way, Aero. I have a business comm. class this semester. The prof. assigned us a business major project. I want to take my major (management & comm.) and go into the social services field. His daughter used to volunteer @ Family Tree, so he recommended I get info. for my project from them. I got info. for my project and was offered this position. The director was impressed that I had done h.s. presentations on the subject and felt that I might be good in a one on one sit. She thinks this particular girl will be better served by someone closer to her own age that has been in the situation.”

“there is such character in your posts, newgirl.. it really says a lot about who you are about.. and what you stand for.. :)..

fantastic!”

“Limp, I agree 100%. Of course it would be much, much easier for her if she had not become pregnant. What I meant to say was that it is not healthy for HER (not you or I) to dwell on that fact. The director talked to me alot about how many of the teens they assist spend almost the entire pregnancy in denial, so it is important that I encourage her to focus on what she can change from this point. Since she can't change that it has happened.”

“Thanks for caring enough to make a difference in other's lives Newgirl. My first impression of you was true...you're aces chicky!



















[sorry for the chick reference Splash 8)]”

“Thanks everyone. I know that it gets lame that I don't write much about bping and this is a bping site, but I don't have much experience there yet. (Cross my fingers for Montanapalooza.) This is just the other things that are happening in my life and I happen to have alot of experience in this area. It makes me feel incredible that a terrifying, messy part of my life has worked out for the better and now I can use what I learned to hopefully help another girl and her baby beat the statistics!”

“Hey, I use the expression chicky too, Nigal...)P”

“"I know that it gets lame that I don't write much about bping and this is a bping site, but I don't have much experience there yet."

'ats OK, neither does anyone else.”

“LOL! I had a sneaking suspicision about that Nigal!”

“Do they have a program to mentor 16 year old girls who are not yet pregnant? My 15 year old daughter went to her first Baby shower for one of her classmates. What a miserable way to start a life.”

“I think that there are several "in support of abstinence" programs in the school system and in community youth groups. Other than that I don't know, Bacpac. I would suggest that you have a young single mom talked to your daughter face to face. Sometimes a reality check from someone close to your own age is just what you need. I agree that having a baby as a teen or even (as in my case) in your early twenties isn't great, but it doesn't have to be a "miserable" way to start life. Young parents can be successes.”

“I've talked to my teenage boys about this.

They should think about who and when they fool about with.

There is the possibility that an unplanned child of their's could end up being born into a tough life.

They could have little or no control over such a child's health and welfare.

"Your kid could end up in a 'home' with an abusive step-father or with inadequate means and be thrust into a life af misery!"

"What if some dumb chick doesn't take good care of YOUR baby?"

That happens WAY too much!”

“both of my teenage sons had babies in middle school, but they were 5 lb bags of sugar. One had twins. For an entire week they had to pretend it was a real baby and carry it around, hold it, feed it, dress it, put it to bed etc. One of the twins died. Left in a hot car.”

“My son and I also recently discussed these things. He told me that a girl in his class just found out she's pregnant. She's 14 and a freshman in highschool. That's WAY too young to be a parent. I hope her parents give her and their grandchild the support they're going to need to make this work. I hope the father's parents do as well.”

“I think that part of the problem of teenage pregnancy, is that a large majority of teenagers, and especially the boys, think that birth control is pretty foolproof, and if a girl gets pregnant, it is her fault, she screwed up. I know a lot of married women who were using birth control, had no intention of going through another pregnancy, and whoops! The stats quoted by pharmaceutical firms reflect tests done under "optimum conditions". The reality of unplanned pregnancy while using birth control needs to be stressed more to teenagers, as well as the scenarios posed by Tom T., Bacpac and Newgirl. A child being raised by a child is often in a very perilous position. Heck, those of us who were older when we had kids often feel lost trying to raise them right.”

“In Fla they have separate schools for the girls and their babies. It's quite sad that about 20% (I am guestimating) don't learn the first time. My friend an RN runs the school grades 5-12. Yes that's right 5th grade. I go in and speak to the mothers several times a year. Parents talk to your CHILDREN when they are young. Especially when you think they are too young--they aren't!!”

“Newgirl ---

I am with Nigal. Good for you for making a difference. Good for you!!

Now I'll throw the skunk into the garden party.


Abortion.


There is no way on God's green earth 15 year olds should be having kids.

If a mature 17 year old, 18 year old and on up wants to face it, that's fine. But 14/15 years old????? UGH.

I supposed the grandparents can step in and raise the child as there own. But still . . .abortion.

I have never understood the anti-abortion arguement, and I never will.”

“Newgirl, that is wonderful both that you are doing it, and that you are finding it so rewarding!

lee...I want to respond to you, and I don't...this thread would be the wrong place anyway.

I'll just say two things, and I will ask that if you want to respond, you do so in a different thread. And I may or may not choose to continue the discussion there....

1. There is no way 15-year-olds should be getting pregnant.

2. When it happens, abortion is not the solution, normally adoption is.

It is a very difficult and heartbreaking issue, no matter how you look at it.”

“...volunteer position..."

"...help young women in this position."

"...was offered this position."
~chewy

So was it the "volunteer position" that got this young lady in "trouble"?
(d'oh! sorry... I couldn't resist -hehehee!)

Seriously, tho - good on you, newgirl!

Sorry to hear about the grandkid, Pathman.
Like Pathman eluded to -
"If mama ain't happy - NOBODY'S happy!


BTW - teen pregnancy is at a 60 year low...

Uh-oh!
Here's another one I can't resist:
Every 11 minutes a teenager has a baby in this country - we must find this girl and STOP HER!”

“Thanks TD, he was a real sweetie.”

“Pathman, I'm sure that you will cherish the videotapes...;-)...I think they should invent a robot baby instead of using 5 lb bags of sugar. Let those teenagers try to change a nasty diaper on a squirming 5 month old robobaby.”

“If she wouldn't've volunteered her services...you prolly wouldn't be volunteering yours.”

“His name was Bubba, and his brother Roscoe. Didn't really have to change their diapers, but they did spring a couple of leaks.”

“Fritz --

I certainly don't want to engage in an all out abortion brawl on Newgirl's thread. You are right about that.

It is wonderful that she is able to provide resources and counseling.

Abortion is one of those subjects . . either you have a problem with it, or you don't. Sort of like religion. I am sure neither of us is ever likely to agree with the other on either subject. Peace.”

“Thats great Newgirl.I have always wanted to save someones life.I know that sounds strange but if I ever had to run into a burnning house to save someone I would or if I had to give CPR I would.People in the world like you make the sun shine brighter on a other wise less then bright world.

8)”

“Dearest Gojo-Poo-Cakes-
It matters not whether this girl volunteered to be in the "position." She is and I believe that she wants to do the best she can from here on out, or she would not have come to this organization asking for help. I am more than happy to be in a position to volunteer to help her (like Buddur said), 'cause I know first hand what it is to be in her current position.
Sincerely-
Chewy-Poo-Cakes”

“Hey Buddur it takes 2. Why should the responsibilty of saying no be put on the female? Teach the boys some self control!!”

“I don't think it is really worth it to debate what is the best way to stop teens from having sex, or to stop teens from getting pregnant, or to stop teens from having abortions. The reality, no matter what way you look at it, is that a large percentage of teens are having sex. I want to help the ones who end up experiencing the consquences. If a girl decides she is not ready to go through a pregnancy, then I want to help her deal w/ her decision to end that preg. If a girl decides she can make it through a preg., but she isn't ready to raise a child, I want to help her find someone who is ready. If a girl decides she is going to give the whole thing a try, I want to give her all the support possible so that she and her baby can be successful members of our society. I see no use in judging or debating, I want to lend my hand, heart, and experience to help.”

“Go Newgirl!”

“lee,

Thank you.

Peace.”

“Newgirl, it is truly refreshing for me to see people putting time into the community. Thanks.”