Importance of volunteering to build community

Hamzia Kedir is happy to share her time and talents with her community. Since moving to Ames Lake Neighborhood in the early summer, Hamzia has made volunteering a priority, even though she is a busy junior at Harding High School in St. Paul.

Every week, she rolls up her sleeves and gets on her knees to care for young children of Ames Lake parents who are attending a parenting classes. When asked what she had learned caring for the little ones, Hamzia replied, “I’ve learned the importance of patience and really taking the time to understand exactly what the children are asking for.”

In addition to her volunteering with the parenting group, Hamzia works one-on-one with Ames After Hours’ Reading Buddies program helping grade school children learn to read. As an avid reader herself, Hamzia knows the importance of building literacy skills at a young age. She shares, “I have always loved to read. I remember finishing the final Harry Potter book in 4th grade and being disappointed when I realized there wasn’t any more in the series.” It’s no surprise that English is her favorite subject, particularly creative writing.

A regular participant in Ames Teen Group, Hamzia enjoys the diversity of the group and the fact that everyone gets along. “The activities we do as a group bring us together and we learn to work as a team. The Group has helped me learn better communication skills, especially with peers who are younger than I am.” she said.

Hamzia has her sights set on getting into college and then medical school with a dream of becoming a pediatrician. In order to achieve that goal, she will continue volunteering in order to learn new skills and meet new people.