We are so impressed by how many of our au pairs donate their time and talents to community service work. This week’s spotlight is on Abigail Wilks. Abigail is an au pair from the United Kingdom living with her host family in New York and a State Winner for the 2016 Au Pair Community Service Awards. She shared the following about her volunteer work helping recovering addicts.
My name is Abigail Wilks. I live in Bronxville, NY and I volunteer at a non-profit growing organization call MARS (Medication-Assisted Recovery Services). Before I began my journey with Au Pair in America I had spent the last three years during University volunteering at a family support center. I supported underprivileged families going through a variety of things, such as the loss of a loved one, to a parent attending drug rehabilitation.
In the beginning, I began volunteering for MARS to increase my knowledge in this area and to add to my resume, however over time I became completely emotionally involved in the entire organization, the people involved and what it represents. I interact with recovering addicts who want to become recovery coaches to support others through the journey they took. I contribute heavily to running a Facebook page to offer support to those in recovery, I have assisted teaching classes in the Bronx to recovery coaches, and I have had the fortune of being able to observe some of the best clinical trainers in action.
The rewards this volunteering opportunity have given me have contributed to my Au Pair in America experience as a whole. It has allowed me to see another side of America, the side that supports those in need, and bands together in support for one another. Overcoming adversity is the real American dream and being able to achieve whatever you work hard for.
Contact us to view profiles of au pairs like Abigail and to learn how Au Pair in America can be a rewarding cultural experience and child care solution for your entire family.
