First Time for Everything

Here's what I love about my job at the Boys & Girls Club.

We get to let these kids have experiences they wouldn't have otherwise.

On Friday it was a no-school day and only a few teens come who have paid the additional "fee."

$20 for the whole year to come on any holiday or closed school days.  (Bargain, 'eh?)

Anyway, we always provide lunch-- usually pizza or something simple.

I asked for their suggestions.

One of them said Olive Garden, as a joke, and we all laughed.

Then my staff mentioned the all-you-can eat bread and salad option for $6.95.

Hmmmm... maybe we could actually do it!

There were only 3 teens at the time.  

It was still morning and I wasn't sure how many others would show up.

Another one came.  Shoot.  Hopefully not too many more or we couldn't afford it.

A few more showed up... but I really wanted to try the Olive Garden option.

One girl has always said Olive Garden is her FAVORITE restaurant.

Then she admitted she'd only eaten there once.

Precious.

I decided we were going to Olive Garden for SURE.

One kid had never been there.

He told me the only "nice" restaurant he'd ever been to was when we took him to IHOP a year or so ago for some special incentive at Club that month.  

Last week I got treats from Wendy's for my "Squad" and some of them had never eaten there before.

Never been to Wendy's?!  How do I take such "luxuries" for granted?

Long story short, the 4 staff and 4 teens hopped in the short bus and went to Olive Garden for lunch.

It was so fun and I loved seeing the excitement in their eyes as they ordered.

The bread sticks are the best part of Olive Garden FOR SURE.  We ate so many.

I got the Never-ending Pasta Bowl and shared some with the teens.

It was absolutely delicious.

We all made sure to do one last "refill" of our entrees so we could have awesome leftovers to take home.

These are always my favorite days working with the teens at the Club.

Taking them somewhere they normally wouldn't go.

Allowing them to indulge a little and just enjoy life.