Volunteer with Kids
Numerous organizations in the area welcome caring adults to help improve the lives of children
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Do your grandchildren live far away? Or perhaps you don’t have any grandchildren and miss interacting with small children. Volunteering with kids can help you fill that need. Numerous organizations in the area welcome caring adults to help improve the lives of children.
You may feel surprised at how much you enjoy volunteering with children in an area where you have little experience. However, it may be easier to start with something familiar. For example, if you have retired from teaching high school English, reading with schoolchildren may be a smooth segue.
United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes has opportunities to read to school children.
“It’s a sense that retirees and kids are at a time of life where the focus is fun so coming together makes for a great time,” said Caitlin Farnung, community engagement manager. “There’s an energy that comes with spending time with children and you see that in retirees. It’s really cool to see.”
In addition to ongoing opportunities, United Way also lists on its Volunteer America website (www.voa.org) one-time events that need volunteers.
“There are a variety of opportunities, but you can browse to see what’s best for your circumstances,” Farnung said.
It’s a great time to consider volunteering, as once school lets out, many opportunities open up to help kids of working parents.
“Summers are peak times for volunteering with children such as summer camps,” Farnung said. “Go with in an open mind and open heart. You may have a few ideas of what it’s like, but it can be unexpected. Be open to the possibilities. Let the kids lead the way and you can have some fun experiences.”
If you think that you’re too old to relate to children these days, it’s not true.
Dwayne Mahoney, executive director of Boys and Girls Club of Rochester, said that working with young people such as in the reading program goes a long way. “It’s beneficial for the kids as they have a volunteer who comes in every Wednesday and they start to form a relationship that way. Having adults, especially retirees for our reading program, is good for young people.”
Reading aloud helps children increase their literacy. However, many children lack access to adults who have the time to regularly hear them read. Typically, the children check out a book from the library, read it and take a comprehension test on a computer. But with volunteers, they can help children sound out words and improve their skills. The program runs September through June.
Of course, Boys and Girls Clubs of America has other ways adults can volunteer and it’s good for the volunteer as well as the child. Volunteers can get involved with STEM, the PE program, art room, dance studio and mentoring.
“Anything that an adult volunteer does is meaningful,” Mahoney said. “They have purpose as they help kids increase in literacy or help with homework. It’s about finding something now that you’re retired. You have more time on your hands. Having long-term, consistent volunteer opportunities means they’re doing a lot of help for another audience and helping young people improve. They have experience and feel that this is a way to give back and provide service now that they’re not working full-time.”
Organizations like Boys and Girls Clubs screen applicants carefully. Mahoney said that volunteers are just as important as hiring a staff person.
“There are a lot of rewards for participating and people can be passionate about volunteering if they have the right opportunity,” he said. “I would encourage anyone in that 55 and older age group as volunteers are critical to organizations like ours.”