Going into college, I (Molly) knew that working with children coming from hard places was what I wanted to do. Growing up with parents who worked in social services taught me to care deeply for people and to be curious about their stories. Not only did I want to work with children, but I also knew I wanted to do so in a way that was highly considerate and intentional. I have worked with many places, and I have found few agencies that fully encapsulate this idea quite like Village to Village Intl.
In the winter of my sophomore year of college, my school director approached me with a new volunteer opportunity with The HALO Program. She had heard about this program through Anthony Troyer and knew it might be something I was interested in. Long story short, she was correct!
Soon after learning about this, I met with Anthony to learn more about the mission of Village to Village Intl. After this conversation, I was sure it was something I needed to be part of. Even though I had heard about The HALO Program through my school, I knew early on that this experience would mean more to me than just furthering my education. For me, being a part of HALO meant creating a space for children to be fully accepted and cared for in a tangible and life-changing way.
Through our trainings at the start of the program, I learned about TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention) and fell in love with the way it taught me to see and understand people. It gave me practical tools to care for the people in front of me in a way that is honoring and empathetic. Once the program began and I met my kid that I was paired with, I saw quickly how the way that HALO approaches children coming from trauma has an incredible impact on both the child and the connection they were able to make with others.
Each night of HALO was a new adventure. Whether the evening looked like a whirlwind of energy and running around or sitting in a quiet place reading a book, I found that I never left feeling empty. Going into each week with the only goal of creating a space where our children can be authentically seen, heard, and valued built an atmosphere unlike any other place I had been. Not only did this provide care for the children, but it also taught me a way of seeing and knowing people on a deeper level, through compassion and curiosity. I learned early on that HALO was not just there to modify behaviors but to teach genuine healing and growth for the whole family. The HALO Program has educated me in ways I would have never gained otherwise.
I am now in the middle of my third year volunteering with The HALO Program and have been able to see the program from a whole new perspective. Going from being a one-on-one buddy to working behind the scenes has given me the opportunity to see each of the individual bonds forming between the buddies and their kiddos. This new perspective has allowed me to see all the more clearly how The HALO Program can make a lasting impact on a child and family. I look forward to seeing what’s in store for the future of Village to Village Intl. and the HALO Program, and I feel incredibly grateful to be a part of it.