Rachel Bohnik, a seventh-grader at Lawrence Middle School, and her brother, Lir, an eighth-grade student, have been attending i-Shine for nearly three years, since their now 19-year-old sister was diagnosed with cancer. “I like coming here because I like making friends,” Lir said.
“They help you deal with your problems,” Rachel added. “And I’d like to volunteer here in the future to give back.”
Woodmere resident Mara Stulberger, 29, a substitute teacher, has been volunteering at i-Shine for the past three years. “I decided to use my teaching skills to help the kids with their homework,” she said. “It’s great for them to come here and see others in the same situation, and it helps parents to know that they have somewhere for their children to go after school when they have so much going on. I hope this program is offered all over the world so kids can feel comfortable in a place like this.”
Supporting families on non-i-Shine nights is the next step for Kaufman, Lauber and Zrihen. “So many people don’t have the necessary support when dealing with a terminal illness, so sending over a volunteer while they’re at the hospital would be such a saving grace,” Kaufman said. “If we can do something to make their lives easier, it makes me feel privileged and hopeful. It’s these children’s time to shine, and i-Shine illuminates their world at a time when it’s the darkest.”
For more information about i-Shine, contact Andy Lauber at (917) 763-1109 or email him at ALauber@ChaiLifeline.org.