Dawn’s Heart has been my passion for the past three years. Although Heart became a legit non-profit in March of this year, it has been a huge part of my life for the past three years. After completing huge amounts of paperwork, paying hundreds of dollars, hosting one kick-off in August, and relying on THE best support system in the world (my family and friends), I was able to host my first outing with my non-profit on October 18. My first outing seemed simple enough, the Smithsonian Zoo.
Now. The Smithsonian Zoo was a great choice for three reasons.
- It was free.
- It was free.
- It was free.
I originally had high hopes and wanted to take my children to New York to see Cinderella on Broadway. The desire to take them was there, but the money was not. As I started planning for New York, I realized two things: (1) Cash rules everything around me- No matter how good my intentions are, EVERYTHING THAT I DO WITH MY CHILDREN WILL COST ME MONEY! (2) Everyone who wished me the best and promised to make monetary donations did not. The saying goes that you should not count your eggs before they hatch. *sigh* You also cannot spend money until it is in your hands.
Given the circumstances, I postponed the New York trip.
Even though the Smithsonian Zoo is free, we did have to pay for transportation and lunch for the children. I knew some children would have the money; I knew other children would not. My biggest task was finding 10 sponsors for 10 children. Thankfully, God always provides. I ended up with 18 sponsors and I brought 18 children. Perfect!
I believe in what I do because I know these children need exposure opportunities. They struggle with social, life, and self-advocacy skills due to their respective disabilities and I want to provide an outlet to work on those skills, yet have fun at the same time. However, in the process of teaching them, they also teach me.
The Four Things I Learned on the Zoo Outing:
- Purchasing Metro farecards for an entire group can be completely overwhelming!
Folks, my plan was to catch the train that left from Huntington Metro at 11:03am. We missed it. All. Because. Of. Farecards!!!! I have purchased farecards on many occasions before this outing. As a result, I am completely comfortable with purchasing ONE farecard. However, when you have 18 children…and they all need a farecard…and NONE of them know how to use the machine…AAAAAAAND you have people behind you wanting to purchase a farecard so they do not miss the 11:03am train…it’s overwhelming. My mother, brother, sister, and friend (all on my Heart team) were as helpful as they could be with purchasing the cards, but they were not entirely comfortable with the process either. I spent about 15 minutes running in between machines, keeping children calm, exchanging money for farecards, and helping children put money on SmartTrip cards. Unfortunately, the farecard fiasco and missing our train ultimately cut into our time at the zoo.
What did I learn? Heart MUST purchase SmartTrip cards! Not only are SmartTrip cards cheaper, but it will save me time on each trip, if I already have the cards ready for the children. From here on out, each kid will get a SmartTrip card to use for the day WITH the money already on it!!!! Problem solved!
- Breakfast, Dawn. How could you forget that most of them wouldn’t have had the opportunity to have breakfast at home?
Once we arrived to Woodley Park Metro station, we had a child that needed to use the bathroom. Since we were right next to a McDonalds, we allowed them to use that restroom. In true teenage fashion, once one child expressed their need to go to the bathroom, others did, too. As we waited for the children who went to the bathroom, two of my girls nervously came to me and said, “Ms. Simpkins, we’re hungry. Can we go buy something to eat?” At first, I said, no. I was not being mean, but we had a schedule to keep (well, sort of, because we were totally off schedule because of those farecards!!!) I just did not want to waste any more time getting something to eat. Then one of the girls said, “But…I’m REALLY hungry. I did not eat this morning.” That’s when reality set in. Most of my children ARE on free/reduced lunch. Many of them eat breakfast at school for free EVERY morning. I should have remembered the demographics of my children and factored breakfast into our outing. So, I gave them permission to buy something. I watched as pairs of children gathered together to combine their money to purchase a sandwich and fries that they could share. My brother even bought a hamburger, fries and a drink for a hungry young man who did not have the money to purchase food. (Thanks, Daniel!)
What did I learn? Of course, I will not be able to provide every meal for them over the weekend. However, when they are with me, I have to make sure they eat a full meal.
- The public still has a LOOOOOOOONG way to go when it comes to understanding children with disabilities.
I get it. All of my children do not “look” like they have deficits. Some of them look typically developing or “normal.” It’s not until you talk to them or start interacting with them and then you realize that something is kinda off. In those cases, I understand. You expect a 14 year old to have manners and understand personal space and be able to make a decision when presented with a situation that requires problem solving skills. Those WOULD be typical things to expect from a typically developing child. However, when dealing with a child with deficits, those are skills we take for granted. Whenever, I see someone become frustrated with one of my children because they cannot figure out WHY they have to repeat their question more than once, I gently ask the person to give them one more second to think and then they usually understand why I’m asking!
*sigh* Then…there are those that stare. There are those that see my children in their walkers or wheelchairs and they cannot help but stare us down! I had a random older teenager come up to one of my children at the zoo and say, “That sucks about your legs.” Ummmm…totally inappropriate. Why would you even say something like that? Fortunately, my child did not pay it any mind at all! My children definitely have feelings and they already know they are different, as we ALL are, actually. No need to bring attention to it!
What did I learn? I must continue to raise awareness of children with disabilities however I can. Children with disabilities deserve the same respect and dignity that anyone else receives.
- When taking a group of children to the zoo, no one will see ALL the animals they want to see. So…don’t sweat it.
I have to admit. I felt guilty. The children had their favorite animal they wanted to see while at the zoo. Some of them saw their favorite animals; others did not. Even though they begged me to stay longer, I was determined to bring the children back on time for parent pick-up. I hated saying, “Guys, it’s time to head back” knowing there were other animals they wanted to see. I was upset. Well…until one of them said, “So, are we going to eat now?” Perhaps seeing EVERY animal at the zoo was not as pressing for them as I thought it would be. They were just happy to be out and together.
What did I learn? I stress waaaaaaaaay too much. Relax, Dawn.
There were some minor issues, but overall, the first outing was a huge success! It further confirmed for me that I AM living my purpose. I AM making a difference in the lives of children. I AM giving these children worthwhile experiences that they would not otherwise have. (I had children who attended that had NEVER been to the zoo before.) Some days, I am overwhelmed. Some days, I wonder if I can juggle a full-time job and Heart and still give them both everything they deserve. However, I am thankful for opportunities like our zoo outing; these opportunities remind me that I am blessed to be chosen for this work.
Thank you for taking this journey with me and Heart. I hope you enjoy the ride and fall in love with my purpose, just as I have.
Yours in Service,
Dawn
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