Kevin Corcoran -- Apostolate

Reflection of the Youth Center.

My names Kevin Corcoran and I work at the Don Bosco youth center in Orange New Jersey with six other men in formation. I usually begin the night in the position of the door man, welcoming the children into the youth center for the night and setting the mood. While the children are being checked in, the kids already are in the gym playing games with the other guys and some Seton Hall University students who come to hang out. After gathering, we disperse into our different activities. I go downstairs at this time and run arts and crafts. This is always a blessing for me, seeing and encouraging the creativity of children. Although there is a set craft we are making, I encourage the kids to color and decorate, expressing themselves in what they make. Furthermore, with a small group of kids, I get to know them on a more personal basis. This is also special for the kids because they usually get to make something that they can bring home, showing off to their families what they made. After this we go back to the gym for the goodnight. This is also a special time for the kids because this is the part of the night that we focus on religion and Jesus, being ministers to the youth. The group is then split up between the gameroom and the gym. I go downstairs and oversee the gameroom. This is a third time in which I really get to spend a lot of time interacting with the kids. I have wonderful opportunities to actually play with the kids, whether it be pool, fusball, ping pong, air hockey, board games, or some others. The first group of little children then leave and the older guys come in. After their goodnight theres an hour of intense basketball. It seems intimidating at first, however, once you play basketball even once, then your a brother. I get to be a brother to groups, encouraging creativity, religion, and fun through the night.