[September 09, 2011] Volunteerism seed blooms Tweet Sep 09, 2011 (The Wilson Daily Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- While most kids were fast asleep in their beds this summer, Niles Moffett was wide-awake by 7 a.m. The 12-year-old would hop on his bicycle and pedal to his favorite place. He had to be there by 8 a.m. Oftentimes, he would beat the others, including Cora Barnes, who had the key to get inside the Gee Corbett Senior Center. Niles would sit and wait for the seniors to come. Every day this summer, Niles taught seniors and other community members how to use the computer, including building their typing skills, checking their e-mail, playing games, surfing the Internet and turning a computer off and on. "This has been amazing," said Barnes, senior activities director for the center. "We don't have money to teach structured programs. They learn to e-mail and get around on the Internet." COOKING AND THERAPY On this particular day, the computer lab is bustling. Some are using a program teaching them how to type, others are playing games and Niles sits in the middle of it all, helping seniors navigate their way. "He's teaching me how to cook," said Anthony Hoskins. "I'm cooking." Niles is sitting by Hoskins, who is playing a game that feels like real life cooking. The program displays a recipe. And the player must chop, measure, mix and pour to get points. "It's good therapy for their hands," Barnes said. "This is good for mind stimulation." As Barnes explains, Hoskins is done baking. "You want one," he asks. "Get you one." His cherry cupcakes were ready. Niles reaches over to help Hoskins finish the game. "You want to play another one," the 12-year-old asks him. Before Hoskins starts another round, he boasts about what he's already cooked on this particular day. "This morning, I cooked pork chops," he said with a laugh. 'I'M HERE TO HELP PEOPLE' Niles decided he wanted to volunteer at the center over the summer. He arrives at 8 a.m. and doesn't leave until 5 p.m. He treats it like a job. "He will sit right here," Barnes said pointing to the chair in the computer lab. "He will bring his little lunch. He parks his bike in his own parking spot." As Barnes watches Niles teach the others in the computer lab, she smiles as if he were her own grandson. "It doesn't have to be perfectly straight," Niles tells Hoskins, who has continued to virtually cook. The 12-year-old was showing him how to chop an onion using the computer's mouse. "Now, you can do the last one," he tells Hoskins. "There you go." Niles, who is now an eighth-grader at Darden Middle School, reminds them all of an old soul. His patience is effortless. "I'm here to help people," he said. "I stay with them the whole way, teach them, so they can master what they are doing." A SEED PLANTED Niles, who is being raised by his mother, Regina Moffett, has been playing on computers since he was 5 years old. "My son is very savvy with computers," his mother said. "He is a very smart kid." Mother and son attend Jackson Chapel First Missionary Baptist Church. Niles had been listening to the Rev. Freddie Barnes' sermons about what it means to give back to the community, she said. "One of the things that Dr. Barnes was teaching us was how important stewardship is and community service," Moffett said. "Making sure that we help others." While this message resonated within the 12-year-old, he has also seen volunteerism first hand. His grandfather, Charles Moffett, who died several years ago, was a truck driver. When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, Charles Moffett stopped what he was doing and decided to rally his Connecticut community to haelp. "He got together people to fill an 18-wheeler full of stuff so they could deliver to Hurricane Katrina victims," Moffett said. "My son saw this." And that kind of love for helping others has been passed down. Niles' grandmother, Barbara, moved to Wilson and began to help out at the senior center, too. "She was here like he was," Barnes said. "She was always contributing to the center. I guess it was a seed that was sown into the generation and passed on." While his grandmother died about a year ago, Niles understands the importance of giving to others. "My whole family loves volunteering," he said. "I just like helping people. Volunteering...it's just a thing I like to do." PATIENCE No matter how many times Niles has to explain or teach a particular skill, it doesn't seem to bother him. "I like having patience," he said. As he continues to help seniors inside the computer lab, there is a woman sitting at the end of one table. She appears to be deep in thought. She's fumbling through papers. She has an assignment due. "I've been working seven weeks online," said Catherine Barnes, who uses the computer lab. "This is the last week for the summer semester." Barnes, who is there every morning, is in her 50s. Before she started her online classes, she had never used the Internet. But Niles has helped her along the way. "He helped me organize a pie chart," Catherine Barnes said. "He's a smart child. This is all a new thing to me." Niles calls her "Ms. Cat" and he understands how Ms. Cat could feel pressure when it comes to getting assignments done for her online classes. "It can get really stressful," Niles said about Ms. Cat's classes. "She just needs someone or something to cool her down for a bit so she can be stress free and have a good time." THE JOY THEY BRING HIM Cora Barnes said having Niles around all summer has been a blessing. "It's been good, because when I'm in the office trying to answer the phone and do others things, I know Niles is in here," she said. "They love him." The center is a home away from home, she said. Not only do the seniors learn a new skill but the interaction among each other, including a young teen, creates patience on both sides. "This is his heart," she said with tears. "This is where he wants to be. There are good children." While Niles spent countless hours this summer volunteering for free, the reward for this 12-year-old was much greater than any paycheck could give. "They give me the joy that you would have when you are outside playing," he said. "They are always happy. They help me feel like I enjoy my life." [email protected] -- 265-7879 ___ (c)2011 The Wilson Daily Times (Wilson, N.C.) Visit The Wilson Daily Times (Wilson, N.C.) at www.wilsontimes.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]