Casey’s Story (as told by illuminate volunteer, Pete)
“Hi, I’m Pete and I volunteer at illuminate’s after school drop in.
Seeing the impact of something seemingly so small like a free biscuit has been a real eye-opener for me.
One young person that really stands out is Casey. When we first met, he was a bit under the radar, not saying much, sort of drifting through the session – not that there’s anything wrong with that, we are here for young people at whatever level they want us to be.
We serve hot chocolate, biscuits and snacks for young people from the church kitchen while they wait for their bus or pass us on their way home. Safe to say we are particularly popular when it’s raining!
I made sure to say hello each time he came in and as the weeks went by ‘hello’, became ‘how was your day’ or ‘how’s life going this week?’
To start with I didn’t get much of an answer but Casey started hanging out in the space for a bit longer and it didn’t take long until we were having some really big conversations.
Gone was the silent, stealthy lad sneaking in for a biscuit and here was a confident young man tackling some of life’s biggest questions. It was like he had exploded into life in front of our eyes.
Casey’s started going along to The Door’s other youth clubs too and it’s been a real privilege to be a small part in his journey. One biscuit at a time.”
Find out more about illuminate projects near you at illuminatestroud.org.uk