Taylor didn’t expect a pumpkin painting activity to shape her college experience—but a fall afternoon at Easterseals NH’s Early Childhood Centers of Excellence (ECCE) in Manchester did just that.
Her college journey had recently led her to Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), where she transferred in the fall of 2023 as a sociology major. Taylor quickly found her place at the Chandler Center, SNHU’s hub for service and civic engagement—a perfect match for her passion for community involvement.
It was through one of the center’s volunteer projects that Taylor first encountered Easterseals NH. She joined a group painting pumpkins with children at the ECCE. “I just hung out with the kids, and I loved it,” she recalls. “The teachers were wonderful, the kids were wonderful, and I started learning more about all the resources Easterseals NH offers.”
The experience left such an impression that when her next semester began in the spring, Taylor requested to become a service-learning coordinator at Easterseals NH. In this role, she helped organize student volunteers for short-term service projects connected to their coursework—and naturally, she chose the ECCE as her site.
More than 20 SNHU students volunteer with Easterseals NH each semester, contributing over 300 hours of service. Taylor’s coordination has helped keep that momentum going while deepening her own connection to the work. At the ECCE, she worked under the guidance of the infant classroom teachers.
Partnering with another SNHU student, Taylor began organizing monthly volunteer projects at the ECCE, each centered around a seasonal or holiday-themed craft.
But the most meaningful moments came in between—reading picture books, cleaning up after snacks, or joining in imaginative play. As the children began to recognize her—Taylor recalls at least one of them enthusiastically proclaiming, “Oh, Taylor’s here!”—she realized that these visits had become much more than a volunteer project.
The experience also gave Taylor a deeper understanding of the full scope of Easterseals NH’s early intervention services. “It’s such a unique child care and early education setting,” she says. “They offer so many different resources that create an accessible environment for the kids.”
Even after graduating, Taylor hopes to continue volunteering with the ECCE. “Kids are the best, because they are so curious and they ask the best questions,” she says. “Every time I interact with them, I learn something new—and that’s a really cool feeling.”
You can explore volunteer opportunities with Easterseals NH’s ECCEs, other programs, and fundraising events at eastersealsnhvt.givepulse.com. To learn more about our Early Childhood Services, including our ECCEs, visit eastersealsnh.org/programs/early-childhood-services.