A Thanksgiving Trip Home

As a kid growing up in the Pasadena area in the 1980s, Kidspace was a well-known part of my world. It was definitely the highlight of the field trip season and the experiences we had made a lasting impression. When my high school curriculum required me to volunteer at a local nonprofit my first thought was Kidspace, and I was fortunate enough to be accepted. While memories of dates and timelines are now fuzzy as I get further and further away from those years, I know I spent the better part of a year with Kidspace, eventually joining the team as a paid part-time employee. I had earned my green apron and was free to decorate it with as many buttons as I could make with the button machine on my breaks.

Kidspace was my very first employer, my very first paycheck, my first foray into the working world. And how fortunate was I that that formative experience came in a place full of imagination and fun and discovery? And how thankful am I that I have now come home so to speak? Re-joining the Kidspace team last April marked a significant step on the timeline of my life. I have worked many different places here in Los Angeles and around the world, and I know that starting out in this amazing institution focused on encouraging children of all ages to be involved with the mechanics of the world around them set me down a very definite path.

I am so thankful that Kidspace was around when I was a kid. I am so thankful that Kidspace is still here for children and for me as well. I am so thankful for the amazing group of colleagues, staff, Board members, supporters, volunteers, and friends that I get to work with every day. I am so proud to see this piece of my past growing and striving every day to be better, and I am so thankful that I get to be a part of that adventure.

Last week hopefully we all had a chance to say Thank You to those who give us so much. And now we have embarked on the season where we can try and find a way to give something special to those who impact our lives. I am celebrating Giving Tuesday by giving back to Kidspace, and I hope you will join me in helping change the way we all think about the gifts we give and receive.

Make a Gift to Kidspace for "Giving Tuesday" Here

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Blog Entry by:

Erica Blodgett, Director of Development, joined Kidspace in 2012.  She holds a master’s degree in Development Management and served as the Development and Communications Director for the Violence Intervention Program prior to joining the Museum.