By Katelyn Kossow
Being a part of the Footprints family and all its incredible members has allowed me to make such amazing memories that will stay with me forever. I joined Footprints the summer before my junior year, excited to get involved, but not really knowing what to expect. As soon as I began volunteering and attending events, I fell in love with the Footprints community and everything they do. Being involved in Footprints has allowed me to meet some of the closest friends I have to this day. I met one of my best friends, Bella, during our onboarding session. We sat next to each other, made some jokes, and quickly became friends. Soon after, I was thrilled to find out that she was my first-ever shift buddy. I looked forward to every shift with her and getting to hang out with the awesome kids on the unit. One of our funniest memories was making friendship bracelets with a little girl. As we were finishing up the bracelets, I tried to tie mine, but accidentally dropped it, sending tiny beads flying everywhere. The three of us couldn’t stop laughing, and the girl encouraged me to make another one. So, I tried again, but when I went to tie it, I dropped it once more. This didn’t just happen twice, but three times! What started as a small mishap turned into hours of laughter with me, Bella, the little girl, and her mom. This is just one of the many unforgettable memories I have made with Footprints. Volunteering on the unit has become one of the highlights of my week because I look forward to hanging out with the awesome kids and spending time with our amazing members.
Aside from volunteering on the unit, doing fun activities with our members has truly shaped my college experience. Footprints offers such a tight-knit group of people who are supportive, kind, and just fun to be around. Whether we are playing pickleball, winning trivia (well maybe not winning), baking, hanging out by the pool, watching a movie, or just grabbing a sweet treat, I always have such an incredible time with Footprints. In fact, we just hosted our first ever Foots-giving with our members. We made it potluck style and had everyone bring their favorite Thanksgiving snacks. To make it even more special, we made some goodie bags for the kiddos on the unit. This was so much fun and everyone had a great time. I’m beyond excited for all the new memories I’ll continue to make with Footprints!
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