Originally Posted by
Patty
This program is for "senior citizens". The article in the newspaper that caught my eye had a headline of "no one under 55 need apply'. It is part of AARP, and is called "Experience Corps". We are sort of volunteers. It is kind of an odd set up. We each get assigned to a school....several of us to each school, and we work with Kgn through 2nd grade. Most of us are assigned to schools you might consider "underpriviledged. We need to put in 300 hours each year in order to qualify. Most of our hours are worked working with children. The children who are chosen for us to work with are typically children who need help in reading. The rest of the time is either training, or service, i.e. this summer I volunteered at a Farmers' Market manning a table for 3 hours many Friday afternoons to give away books to children. The entire focus is getting children interested in reading. We receive a small stipend and a credit for an average of $1300 credit for education past high school for either us, our children or grandchildren. It's not a great deal of money, but it helps, and I cannot tell you how the children react to you. I never thought I would get that attached...I wanted to bring each one home. Many of them get very little help at home...some parents don't speak Englsh...It really makes you feel like you're "doing something good".