“What would you say about a new job volunteering and helping at-risk adults with literacy?” Charlie asked me late yesterday evening.
“I would love that!” I exclaimed with a little apprehension and trepidation in my voice. “Could I handle this?” I worriedly thought.
Charlie is the director of a local community action agency for the government – a job he’s had for years and years and excels at it..
“Now, I am going to need you to be very steady,” Charlie told me growing very, very serious. “It will be like a job as far as that is concerned. They need people they can depend upon.”
“I will be Johnny on the spot!” I told Charlie excitedly.
Luckily, the volunteer job is only a few miles from my house. Actually, less than a mile as I just drove over there to look at their little blue/gray building. This was a double bonus with gas prices so high.
“I figured you would want the volunteer job so you are signed up to start work next Monday, They, at the agency, badly need some help so are excited at getting you! I gave you glowing reviews so don’t let me down.”
I had so many thoughts after I got off the phone with Charlie. Will I be teaching English? What kind of at-risk adults? How many hours per day? All pieces of the puzzle that will soon be put together for me I finally concluded.
8 comments:
You are going to be great at this job. You help George and take great care of your pups so my opinion is that you have all the skills to help people learn to read. Have fun meeting the new people to come and enoy the work.
Good luck.
Ohhh I'm excited for you! You're going to love and EXCELL here. This just may be the "niche" you have been looking for!!
Sir:
When I volunteered to help "at-risk" adults with literacy (I did this for two summers about 25 years ago), the clientele was quite varied. Most of the adults could not read at all or were below the 3rd grade reading level. About half of the people were recovering addicts of one sort or another, and about a third were formerly homeless or abused.
It is a valuable job to help people in these situations. The challenges I found were a) many of the people you start helping drop out or abandon the program, b) progress would often be agonizingly slow. After two Summers I was rather "burnt out" because I did not feel I was being successful in helping to make a difference.
That said, I hope that you find the service to others in this way to be very valuable to you!
PipeTobacco
Sounds like "just what the doctor ordered"! Best of luck to you today.
I have a feeling that helping others in such a significant way will be very good for both you and your students. Just realize that their failures are not your failures. They are coping with big issues that you can't solve for them. The ones you get to will be forever grateful to you.
Good luck!
Sounds like a perfect way to keep you from locking yourself in the house without too much outside pressure. I think you will be great at it.
Sounds like a great way to stay busy and help some one at the same time.
that is a WICKED opportunity!
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