In Mexico, Valentine’s Day is known as Día del Amor y la Amistad, the day of love and friendship. To commemorate a day everyone should celebrate, staff, children, and young adults at a Back2Back children’s home invited local volunteers into their kitchen space to make pizzas on a Saturday afternoon.

This was a new activity for those who call Rancho home, and every step was a hands-on learning experience. The adults shared the importance of proper ingredient measurement, how to prepare pizza dough, what various kitchen utensils were and how to use them, and how to safely chop vegetables to be added to their pizzas.

Finding and using their own voice is a key part of growth and healing for children and young adults from hard places. Every day, Back2Back staff look for ways to ensure every child in their care has the ability and space to use their voice. For the pizza party, everyone present was encouraged to choose the types of pizza they would make, including what toppings they wanted on them. From ham, mushrooms, sausage, and even pineapple, everyone got to create a pizza just for themselves based on what they wanted. The Rancho staff noticed that with all the new learning and pizza making, the most enjoyed part of the day was the social connection between staff, volunteers, and the children.

Once the pizzas were ready, everyone gathered around the table and shared a meal. It was an afternoon of new experiences and fun, but it was also time for every child’s social, emotional, and educational tank to be filled and met with love. This is hope that does not stand still.