Our Volunteers

“When COVID shut down our culture, I was intrigued by the option to tutor students via zoom. I did research on the AmeriCorps Seniors program and thought that the Reading Buddies program would be a good fit.

The training that the program director provided before we were ready to tutor was phenomenal, relevant and top quality. When I was able to go onsite and tutor my three children, the experience was so much more productive. I have seen progress even in a short timeframe. I am looking forward to working with the program in the future.”

— Martha L.

“I'm a retired Community Health Educator. Though I graduated from NC A&T SU, I am a transplant to the area from upstate NY. In New York, I was an RSVP volunteer teaching "a Matter of Balance" as well as a facilitator for "Bone Builders," which is an osteoporosis prevention exercise program. As a health educator, I'm always looking for opportunities to help people in the community to improve the status of their health by teaching prevention programs. When asked to serve on the RSVP AmeriCorps Seniors Volunteer Advisory Committee in November 2020, I felt it was a good fit. In February, I had my first opportunity to present a program on Heart Health. I enjoy being able to educate persons in the community on important health issues.”

— Carolyn H.

“I have been part of several programs that target children who need help with core reading and math skills. The most effective efforts have been one-to-one arrangements similar to the methods used through RSVP. During the Covid pandemic I was looking for a way to get involved in a virtual program and discovered RSVP's reading initiative that included that direct, one-to-one relationship. Given the challenges of the past year, the program has proven to be an excellent model for Seniors like me to help others.

Being part of a program that helps students develop their core educational skills is always rewarding. But particularly for Seniors like myself who have minimal contact with youth, just being able to spend time with children in a positive and effective way is enjoyable.”

—Dennis N.

“I have been a Reading Buddy volunteer with RSVP since early spring this year with the Latino Community Services in Winston-Salem. First I assisted on Zoom with the K-5th grade students, but as soon as it was safe (after vaccinations) I decided to interact in person with the student(s). The students are highly motivated to learn to read (or read better), which has made it very enjoyable for me. Also each student has his/her own personality, which makes the experience all the more rich. I know I have been with them for a relatively short period of time, but I hope I have made an impact. Anybody who loves to read will enjoy teaching them to become better at reading.”

—Maria C.

“I am familiar with AmeriCorps*VISTA and the AmeriCorps State and National programs.

I love working with children and felt LoveCDC RSVP AmeriCorps Seniors program would be a chance for me to connect with them. Using the Reading A-Z learning tools, we have shared books and other activities to go along with them. I have also increased my technology skills learning how to lead my breakout session using Zoom.

As a long-time retired media specialist, I have enjoyed reconnecting and interacting with the children, reading books and working on the different activities. I like the Reading AZ online resources.”

—Nathalae W.