My PCM is OK. Some people do much more, shall we say "interesting" things at their PCM's, but mine is pretty much typical. My friend Erik goes up to 'Boy's Town' and talks to men on the street corners who are stuck in prostitution. Mine isn't anything like that, but I think it still has a lot of purpose. It's definitely not what I am used to, but I like it. I help out at the YMCA with an after school program for kids. I'm not used to the age range, and I'm definitely not used to the inner-city kids. The kids at the Power House live in town, but they are not inner-city. Some of those kids might be a little rough around the edges, whereas these kids are pretty rough all around, but by no means hopeless. There are some that just touch your heart, though. I'm sure that all of them want you to give them affirmation and love, but some of them are just more 'expressive' of it, I guess.

I usually work with one boy, named Amiel. I (try) to help him with his homework, but usually he wants me to give him the answers rather than help him to get them on his own. There are a ton of great kids there (he is one of them), but one little girl just sticks out. Her name is Sarai, and every time we arrive, she gets a big smile on her face and greets us. She can be a stinker, too, but she is a cute kid.

Yesterday I got to read to her. That probably doesn't seem like a big deal, but it's much easier to feel like you're actually doing something there when the kids want you to interact. Usually Amiel wants me to give him the answers or just let him do his own thing. I'm going to keep on working with him, even if he doesn't let me really help him. Sarai had me help her on a couple of questions on her math, and then she got out her "Little House in the Big Woods" book. I was reading it to her, and it was funny, because I was reading about Pa loading his gun and getting ready to shoot animals, and it was really catching the attention of other people in the room. It was a blast, though. Kids like Sarai make it so much fun to help out.