FH Volunteer Spotlight- Ms. Bina
By Deepika Gajaria
1. Tell us a little about yourself and how you got involved with volunteering at FH?
A: My name is Bina. I have been volunteering here at Forest Hill for 3 years now. My kids went to school here 20-25 years ago. I would go to their classrooms then and help the teachers or in the office. I just love working here and it is so important for me to do this. When I would be in my kids classrooms my kids were so happy to see me. Their smiles are what encouraged me to keep doing this and I realized early on how important it was for me to be here.
After all these years I wanted to do something I enjoyed and the first thing that came to mind is that I loved working with children. That’s why I returned. I started coming in more often to help. I get so much respect and love both in the classroom and with the office staff. They are so loving and helpful.
2. If your stop sign could talk, what’s the funniest or most frequent thing it would say to the morning commuters?
A:There is always a surprise on their face and they are apologetic. Sometimes parents don’t notice me when they are dropping off as well, and I end up being the one reminding them to drive up to the beginning of the drop off area or to be vigilant of other kids.
I have also ran in front of cars to slow parents down and hold the stop sign high.
3. Sandals or sneakers?, Sweatshirts or rain jackets? power breakfast or power coffee/tea to get you started?
A: Always sneakers and layers. I start my day without any breakfast and the energy of the kids keeps me going!
4. How many miles do you walk a day?
A: I end up walking about 2.5 miles a day to and from school and moving around during volunteering
5. Closing thoughts:
A: I love to help the kids and work with them and I get so much love and respect. When my kids were here and I saw their smiles it made it all worth it.
I encourage parents to come even if it's for 30 mins. You will instantly see how happy your kids and all the other kids are to see you. It's a wonderful feeling so definitely try it out. It has been a great source of joy for me over the years and I love this community.