Helping Teens Gives Her a Sense of Fulfillment

Ivolunteer at a shelter for homeless and runaway kids. It’s been more than a year filled with dealing with suicidal teens . . . looking into a 13-year-old’s eyes as she asks my advice on her pregnancy . . . and kids who have been physically and mentally abused since infancy. I try to talk and listen to them--something they say they’ve never gotten from their families. My time has never been filled with such intensity and fulfillment. I hope I make a difference, because being with them has given me an appreciation for what I have and a prayer that someday they too will have everything they want.

JILL BANDEMER, Studio City

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