Help preschoolers in Get Ready for School

The following are volunteer opportunities in Kitchener-Waterloo. For more information, call the Volunteer Action Centre in Kitchener at 519-742-8610 or check the website at www.volunteerkw.ca.

Strong Start is seeking volunteers for the Get Ready for School program. Volunteers assist preschoolers during play and learning activities. They work with a team of instructors to provide children with meaningful learning experiences. The minimum time commitment is two hours per week for eight weeks. We provide training. This program is free to children, and offered in 16 community centres across Waterloo Region. For more information, please contact Kirsten Carr at 519-743-9578 ext. 114 or grfs@strongstart.ca.

Are you 18 years or older? Do you have a passion for education? Pathways to Education is looking for volunteer tutors who are interested in working with high school students in our Pathways to Education program. Volunteer tutors help students develop skills, confidence and positive learning attitudes to influence academic success. Interview and police check required. Contact Katie at Carizon Family & Community Services for more information: 519-743-6333, ext. 243 or kmcarthur@carizon.ca.

Support Victim Services of Waterloo Region and become a Volunteer Crisis Responder. Crisis responders assist victims of crime and tragic circumstances by providing crisis intervention, emotional support, information and community referrals. You must be 19 years old, willing to commit two years to this position and able to take four to six eight-hour shifts per month, in addition to having a valid driver’s licence and vehicle. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please fill in the volunteer application form found on our website at http://vswr.ca/volunteer/ and submit it to Ashley Hendricks at ashley.hendricks@wrps.on.ca. To find a volunteer opportunity that suits you, search United Way’s online volunteer opportunities database at www.uwcambridge.on.ca and click on the Volunteer Centre tab, or call 519-621-1030.

Focus on Volunteering: January 2018 — Family Literacy Day

Family Literacy Day is a national awareness initiative held annually on Jan. 27 to raise awareness of the importance of reading and engaging in other literacy-related activities as a family.

For parents who are illiterate or have low-literacy skills, the challenge of reading to their children is not just about finding the time. At The Literacy Group, the organization works year-round is to provide “… free, confidential one-to-one, small group and computer training by offering people the support they need to improve the essential skills required for work, learning and life as a means to enhance quality of life.”

This is something that the organization achieves with the help of volunteers.

Lynn has been a dedicated volunteer tutor with The Literacy Group for six years. Prior to starting to tutor students, volunteers who sign up with The Literacy Group take a literacy training course. The training course is provided to teach tutoring techniques for teaching adults. Ongoing training is also offered. Lynn is now retired and typically volunteers six hours each week. After working for her entire adult life, Lynn felt that it was time to give back to the community. She also didn’t want the pressure of paid employment. She felt it was a natural fit, since she always enjoyed studying English in school.

Did you know that 24 per cent of adults in our region have literacy issues?

When asked about the people who use the Literacy Group services, Lynn talked about adults who want to upgrade their literacy and computer skills, some of whom are hoping for improved job prospects and some of whom simply want to learn to improve their quality of life. Some students speak English as a second language and are seeking to upgrade their English skills. Others may have a learning disability and had difficulty learning at the same pace as their peers in school. As Lynn said, “Everybody has their own reason for coming.” Learners don’t need to have the goal of upgrading their skills for employment-related purposes; they just have to want to learn.

We all know about the challenges that those who are illiterate or who have low-literacy skills have in finding and retaining employment. Help change the power of poverty by signing up to volunteer today.

The Literacy Group is searching for Adult Literacy Tutors and volunteers to join its board of directors. See http://theliteracygroup.com/become-a-volunteer/ for more information about these opportunities.