Mustard Seed is a free, private school for children 3-15 years old experiencing homelessness. Mustard Seed provides a safe, nurturing, and structured environment for its students, as well as essential care and assistance entering or reentering public schools. We have been partnering with Mustard Seed at Sacramento Pipeworks for a long time now, and it is always a pleasure to see the kids walk through our doors. 4th and 5th grade teacher Madelyn Tomolillo recently caught up with us to tell us about the kids’ experiences climbing:
Hello! It’s Madelyn from Mustard Seed. I just wanted to let you know how much the kids love coming to Pipeworks. Mondays, which are usually not fun, have become one of our best days because we know we will get to climb. The older kids are having such great experiences that now the younger kids are begging to come too! As their teacher I have witnessed firsthand what a positive effect Pipeworks has had on them. Their self-confidence, willingness to face their fears, and interest in physical fitness has all drastically improved!
Justin, age 11, has said that he likes Pipeworks, “because it is really fun and there are very nice people there. Plus you get to exercise and you get to learn how to trust people. We also learn how to be patient and we learn a lot of things so in the future we will know what to do.”
“I like Pipeworks because it is very fun and it is very good exercise,” said 10-year-old Reymundo. “We look forward to it every Monday. It helps us do stretches and helps us grow strong bodies and hard bones. We really appreciate you guys for letting us come to Pipeworks every Monday, and letting us climb and boulder. Pipeworks is important to me because I like P.E. and exercise. Thank you!”
11-year-old Noah even wrote a list of all the reasons he likes climbing:
- I like Pipeworks because it helps us overcome our fears and it’s really fun.
- I think it’s important because it helps us stay fit and in good shape.
- It also makes us build up our muscles and helps us learn to trust the person holding us.
- It helps us with stretches and makes you think about what rocks you have to climb.
Their faces really light up when they talk about Pipeworks and all they have accomplished there. They even talk about participating in climbing competitions someday. Thank you for giving them that confidence and hope for the future!
Thank you Madelyn and Mustard Seed for being a part of the Touchstone family! If you’d like to bring your outreach group to Pipeworks, get in touch with us at (916) 341-0100.
