, many people want nice things: be it a luxury car, a big house or toys to fill their garage. For some, success is measured by money and power. At Quicken Loans, our success is to make a difference for clients, team members and our community. It's just one of the many things I love about this company.
each year, each Member of the team is given eight hours to volunteer in the community and that we receive weekly emails with different volunteer opportunities. I have a soft spot for children, so when I received the email on volunteer work with children through the summer in the city program, I jumped at the chance!
was in the city is a program that allows children to explore the famous island of Detroit, Belle-Isle, with volunteers aged 14 and over. I'm happy to participate as an adult, but when I was a kid in elementary school, I lived for the field visits. Not much changed since then, and I can only imagine how excited the kids were! I had never been to before Belle-Isle, and the opportunity to explore with a local child has the event that much more attractive.
when we arrived at the Park, children home, tie-dye T-shirts were everywhere! Have given us instructions to meet our friends from our favorite ice cream. We ran into the sea of tie-dye to let the spell work its magic. The first girl, I found was concerned by all the fuss. Before that I took his name, she disappeared into the crowd. Oh, well. The search continues, and a few moments later, I met my boyfriend.
her name was Nicole, and she too loved a classic ice cream cone, mint chocolate chip. After a brief conversation, I realized that she was a very special girl. It was full of charisma and stories - we hit it off right away and I knew it would be a great day.
Nicole was very eager to start exploring, so waiting for the last statement has been quite difficult for us both! It was her first time on Belle Isle, too, but we were ready for the challenge. Leaders handed out "passports" with a list of places to explore the island. First on the passport was the aquarium, which was the native fish of Michigan and many others from all over the world. The Conservatory had plants of different climates all over the world and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum has presented the Great Lakes, waterways, the story behind the expedition and many interactive exhibits. We took our passports and went on our adventure!
on our way to the aquarium and the Conservatory, I asked Nicole questions like, what grade are you? How many brothers and sisters do you have? What do you do when you grow up? We chatted throughout our explorations. As we have learned to know each other, I was really wanting to be her boyfriend and become someone she'd remember.
on our way to the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, we made a stop at the booth at the Scott Fountain where a bunch of kids were splashing around and have a good time. Nicole didn't go in in first, but with a little coaxing she finally began her shoes, rolled up his pant legs and tested the water. It was quite cold and she did don't want to go all the way. She was sitting on the edge and watched other children for a minute or two before finally moving in, squealing and laughing until she took the habit of the water. The atmosphere was light and fun and kids laugh was contagious. After a good 10 minutes, I had to drag him practically outside the fountain.
after the fountain, we got back on track to head of the Museum. Nicole talked about his family, pets and all that came to his mind. She was eager to learn, but she was bored pretty quickly, so I tried to find fun things to talk about to keep his interest. We played with interactive exhibits and taught how his line a boat. We talked to one of the experts of the Museum and learned that the part of the Museum was in fact an old ship. That got his attention! She played with the various levers and buttons and pretended to be the captain of the ship. I can only imagine how much fun it was to experience it as a kid! Time was running out, so we went back to the playground.
that I sat in the shade watching her play, I thought about our conversations throughout the day and I was wondering if she would remember anything we talked about. I have made a difference? She would remember me a month or two here? Time flew by and before I knew it, she had to leave. Without so much as a hug or a h.o.t., she told me that she had to go and took off to the bus. On the way back to work, I was still mulling over the impact I did - or did not.
, I realized that it does nothing fancy to make a difference. A kind word, a helping hand, someone give of your time and your attention - that's what makes a difference in the life of someone, especially the life of the child. It doesn't matter if she remembers my name or even our time together. The only thing that matters is that I gave my time, and for a few hours, we had fun. I am honoured to be with a company that encourages all members of his team to make a positive impact on the community.
If you work in a company that focuses on the provision of their community is important to you, visit the Quicken Loans careers and get started today!