Friends Association for Children is a really great organization located in Gilpin Court in Richmond. During my first year of grad school, my internship was with Friends and I love going back and working with them because they do a lot of awesome stuff for the community in regards to low cost day care, after school programs, and adult education and are super positive people. Ward and I were invited to come hang out for a backyard cookout party that they were having. Here were the highlights (i really like lists lately):1. Ward tried to convince a girl that the only reason she could have gotten holes in her tube is because she must have been chewing on it
2. It was the first time in two years that I had a kid bring us a bike that had a rear coaster wheel used as a functioning free wheel. I love innovation!
3. Every kid in Gilpin Court wants you to either hold something for them or watch their bike while they go find something to drink
4. Friends provided tons of bottled water and potato chips
5. A bunch of kids worked on their own bikes! Free labor!
6. I only saw one book fly across the parking lot in 3 hours
7. I got to see a bunch of kids that I used to work with, included Edmon, who is 16 now, but still calls me Ms. Shelley, which is weird because I'm not that old and he is way bigger than me
8. A four year old asked Ward 172 consecutive times if he could have a bike, of which Ward just responded "no" over and over and over and over and over
9. As we drove away, 8 kids who had had there bikes fixed and had hung out with us all afternoon escorted us out of the neighborhood, riding 4 blocks to Chamberlyn surrounding the bus on both sides and from behind, yelling and screaming in excitement. I think one of my happiest Books on Wheels moments yet.
- Shelley
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