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For students at Ramstein High School, one unique school program is presenting an opportunity to reach out to children in need. This program, called Deployment Buddies, is giving teenagers a chance to offer friendship and comfort to children, ages 4 to 7, whose parents are deployed. This group, which gathers once a month, is aimed at helping elementary-schoolers deal with the difficulties of having one or both parents away from home.
The older children, called the “Bigs,” play a tremendous part in helping the younger children, called the “Smalls,” deal with their situation.
“As far as the Smalls are concerned, that void gets filled that is left by the missing parent or parents,” said Fred Lopez, a counselor at RHS and the sponsor of this program. “The older kids offer ideas and suggestions on how to cope and let the Smalls know that they aren’t alone in this time of trial. It even helps our Bigs, too, especially if they also happen to have one or both parents deployed.”
These monthly meetings consist of a social gathering at one of the schools, where the Bigs and Smalls do fun activities together such as arts, crafts, drama and music performances and physical activities.
“The best I can call it is running around in circles,” said Mr. Lopez. “They also do projects like making cards for the parent(s) deployed. There’s a lot of drawing, cutting, pasting and just having fun.”
Deployment Buddies doesn’t just pertain to the schools, however. Different organizations in the community pick a monthly meeting to support the group with snacks, refreshments and military members to come in and play with the Smalls.
“Just their being there in uniform makes the connection between community and military,” said Mr. Lopez. “It really helps the kids.”
The opportunity for this community involvement is available to RHS students if they visit Mr. Lopez for a permission slip and a medical power of attorney form.
“I’m looking for mature, focused students who are interested in working with kids,” said the counselor. “Passing grades are critical, and attitude is of paramount importance. Volunteers also have to understand that they are there for the Smalls; this isn’t a socialization hour for themselves.”
For those students who have the right qualities, the experience can be amazingly rewarding.
“They’ve loved it, and most of them are returning Bigs,” said Mr. Lopez. “They get a sense of responsibility, being needed, that sense of helping … I’ve actually seen some skittish, immature teens go over and mature during the process and come back with some of that inner growth because they feel they’ve done something good.”
