RCOS members volunteer with children in need
Ashlynn Franks began her two-hour shift at Family Promise of Lubbock, volunteering with children undergoing homelessness.
Franks, a first-year student and member of Texas Tech’s Raider Children Outreach Society, joined children as they created Play-Doh animals out of varying colors.
While initially put off by the bird-poop-covered tables, she watched as the children began to smile more, later turning into laughs as they became more social. Franks said their joy changed her perspective entirely.
RCOS was created to bring positive experiences to children in Lubbock facing disabilities, illnesses and homelessness.
“(The children) made joy out of something like Play Doh which was so dirty and gross, and they’re happy about it,” said Franks. “It shows how thankful you can be for just the little things in life, and it's just such so eye-opening. I think for them to be so little, that's what they see. You can learn so much from that.”
Volunteering with organizations like Family Promise of Lubbock, Ronald McDonald House, Children’s Home of Lubbock and Ramirez Elementary School members of RCOS not only help children but also connect to their inner child, said Hamza Hashmi, co-founder of RCOS and a fourth-year biology major from South Lake.
“I’m sure we’ve all wished we could be young again, so to play with these kids just kind of brings you back to those positive feelings when life was a lot simpler,” Hashmi said.
The real-world experiences that members get out of volunteering additionally serve as “happy places” for members like Pedregon, who look to get away from class loads.
“I love working with kids. I think they make your day so much better,” Pedregon said. “I always say if I’m having a bad day and there’s a Family Promise event, I’ll go. I’m here for an hour and a half, or however long I am here, and my day is 10 million times better.”
Created in the summer of 2023, RCOS has a member fee of $25 per semester, and any Tech student can join.
RCOS provides weekly opportunities like Family Promise, which is a two-hour window where students can play and interact with children, building bonds and relationships with the youth.
This experience of interacting with the youth of Lubbock provides students pursuing fields in pediatrics with real-world experiences, said Janaea Pedregon, a second-year biology major from El Paso and event coordinator for RCOS.
Students wanting to join can attend RCOS’ next event in the United Methodists Children’s Family Room at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
Members of the organization said there’s nothing like giving back to others.
“It takes a very special kind of person to be able to do that because it’s not a fun job to see kids not be happy,” said Skylar Allen, a first-year pre-nursing student from Blum. “The impact of you being there for them, and showing them this isn’t forever and saying, ‘We’re gonna help you through this.’ It’s definitely bittersweet but it’s very rewarding.”