OCR Text |
Show -N E W S- Spanish Fork Friday's Kids: Congressional honor A8 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2008 From KIDS • A l help. A lot are reluctant to ask for help, because they think they should be able to do it all themselves, but it's impossible." The Friday's Kids program is specifically geared toward families which do not receive help from the state, since the wait for state aid can be a long one. "The average wait list for help from the state is five years," said Dignam. "That wait is a really hard time and families need help while waiting for state services." Not only does the program help the families of children with disabilities, but it is beneficial to the children as well. They are provided with a facility full of stimulating toys and plenty of opportunities for growth. "The children are able to spend time to develop their social skills and motor skills in a safe environment where they fit in," said Dignam. The care-givers at Friday's Kids are volunteers and each child is paired up with one volunteer that spends the evening with them, so the children get all the personal attention they need. There is also always a nurse on staff to take care of everything from scrapes and bruises to dirty diapers. "...The only thing the volunteer needs to do is spend time with the child and make sure they are safe." — Toshiko Dignam "Because the kids are paired up with volunteers on a one-on-one basis, we are in desperate need of volunteers," said Dignam. "And since we have a nurse on staff who takes care of all the messy stuff, the only thing the volunteer needs to do is spend time with the child and make sure they are safe." The Salem facility is currently helping two families, Covering what matters most but Friday's Kids wants to open it up to be supporting 12, but can only do so with more volunteers. "We are so lucky to get so many volunteers every year," said Dignam. "We are just hoping we will get more to support this program, because it is really important. Right now most of our volunteers are BYU students, but we are hoping to involve the more immediate community." Volunteers are only at the facility for three to three and a half hours on a given night, and the only requirement is that they complete a short training session. When a volunteer comes into the facility, they are given a packet of information on the child who they will be playing with. This packet includes information on what the child likes and dislikes, what to do for their particular medical condition and what to do if the child becomes upset. To be volunteer, you must be at least 18 years old, or be accompanied by an adult. To sign up as a volunteer, or to make a donation to Friday's Kids, visit www.fridayskids.org. Answering the call: From TEACHER • A l Namon Bills / Spanish Fork News PATRIOTISM: Congressman Chris Cannon came to Spanish Fork Monday, Feb. 4 to honor Albert Burns, who died in a tragic auto-pedestrian accident on Jan. 31 at the age of 83. Cannon presented Burns' widow, Doris, with a flag that had flown over our nation's capitol. Burns was also honored by the American Legion and the Utah State Senate and House of Representatives. For more information, see pages A2 and B7. The DEALS are Gas and Go Lease •Payment as low as $176/mo. / 24 months •Free Maintenance Plan •First month RCL payment on us uptoilM SAVE BIG! $4000 Customer Cash o OR oo BEST SELLING TRUCK FOR 31 YEARS STRAIGHT! WOW! o° o OR Customer Cash While he is gone, Scoubes will email and send pictures to his class, hopefully giving them a sense of how world events can shape their own future, and to show them a more personal view of the real people that make up other cultures. The fact that Scoubes' son, Trevor, is in Scoubes' school class this year will also help him stay in touch. "I'm hoping that I can help make this a positive experience, a learning experience, for all these kids," said Scoubes. Scoubes has spent a lot of time in other countries, beginning with his LDS Mission to Uruguay. After he and his wife, Robyn, married, they both worked overseas as diplomats in the State Department. Scoubes specialized in information management and linguistics, and used his Spanish language skills as they worked in Honduras. The Scoubes had their first two children in Honduras before resigning in 1997 and moving back to Utah to finish their college degrees. In 2001, and now with three children in their family, Keir and Robyn graduated from BYU with degrees in Elementary Education and Family Science, respectively. While at BYU, Keir had enlisted with the ROTC to be trained as an officer. And as a result of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 of that year, he was deployed to Iraq, where he served for over a year. As aNational Guardsman, Scoubes had many chances to hone his language abilities and other skills. Enlisted men in the Guard choose a specialty, which they work on during their monthly training sessions. Scoubes worked as a carpenter, completing carpentry projects for places like Independence High School in Provo, and the Hogle Zoo. Later, as an officer, he specialized in Military Intelligence and Linguistics, and spent time in Nicaragua and El Salvador. During these times abroad, Scoubes participated in Medical and Humanitarian Missions as an Officer in Charge, working with doctors and dentists who donated their services to the people of those countries. "It was a great experience doing these humanitarian projects," said Scoubes. "I got to be an interpreter, helping patients tell the doctors what was wrong with them, and other things like that." After Scoubes served his tour in Iraq, he returned home to Spanish Fork. He had always planned on using his Education degree to become a school teacher, and that summer he was hired by Larsen Elementary to teach fifth grade. "Nebo School District has been so kind to me, and so great to work with this entire time," said Scoubes. "They've been so supportive of my National Guard service, allowing me to go and serve, and then come back. And it's not just me," Scoubes added, "but they've helped a lot of other teachers, too." Nebo School District also facilitated Scoubes' development as an educator, helping him obtain his master's degree from Southern Utah University concurrently with his teaching at Larsen Elementary. Now that Scoubes is preparing to serve in the Middle East again (this time in Afghanistan), he is upbeat about the opportunities he and his battalion will have to serve. "I really like the chance I get to interact with the people," Scoubes said, "and since we are an Intelligence Battalion, many of the men can speak the language, so we'll get to have even more interaction than many groups getSome of the components of Scoubes' battalion's mission will be helping to establish a more secure environment for the people of Afghanistan — making infrastructure more secure and helping the people be safe to develop as a free nation. Because he will be in a Headquarters Company, and live on a main base and help support other companies in the field, Scoubes will be able to do more Humanitarian Aid as well. While military service obviously has difficulties and danger, Scoubes said his family has been really supportive. "We just think it's an important thing to do," he explained. "I feel it's my responsibility to help out, and if I didn't do it, it would mean someone else would have to." And keeping in close touch with his wife and their children (Amber, Trevor, Jessica and Ashley) helps make the experience easier, as well. Scoubes will be able to call and email his family frequently, and hopefully even have good enough internet access to use a Webcam. For Scoubes' fifth graders, the experience will be a special chance to get a personal look at the life of a soldier, and to forge a very real connection to events that are often just in history books. And they are lucky to be able to learn about patriotism and selflessness firsthand from their teacher's example. "It means a lot to me to be able to serve in the military," said Scoubes, "because I get to serve both my own country, and the people of other countries, at the same time." Finding success: From SUCCESS • A l 2534 NORTH 200 EAST SPANISH FORK 798-3553 •See dealer for details. Not all customers will qualify, OAC must finance with FMCC *• On 2008 Focus: Security deposit waived with approved credit • 10,500 Miles per Year 1 to the church. He has served as a teacher in Sunday School, as well as in Primary, and even in the Elder's Quorum. His friends and neighbors are quick to point out how genuine and caring Miller is. "Every Sunday, he always seeks out the families he home teaches ... he really cares!" His courteous and genuine His future goals for his compersonality shines through pany are to "provide an atnot only in his church call- mosphere that is comfortable ings but at his business as and to continue providing well. He is friendly and out- excellent customer service to going with his clients. Miller (his) clients." understands that while taxes When asked about aren't much fun to pay, it is accomplishing great things something that each of us despite challenges in life, be have to do. And since each of they spiritual, emotional* or us have to do it, he wants to physical Miller summed it up put as much fun and enjoy- quite simply by saying "You ment in the process as he can. just gotta hang in there." |