Published in the Sept. 3-16, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life

By Cindy Miller

As a long-time resident of Morgan Hill, I’ve been truly inspired by seeing how our town has developed into such a powerfully caring and involved community. Through my business, I meet many people visiting Morgan Hill. I proudly tell them of the events, facilities and programs available to our residents.

One facility of note is the El Toro Youth Center, affiliated with the Boys and Girls Club of Silicon Valley. Its weekly Volunteer Reading Program has become a true example of community collaboration between local adults and high school Interact clubs, facilitated by local educators’ organization Gamma Alpha Chapter.

Every Tuesday during the school year from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 pm, a reading tutor volunteer is assigned a child for the hour. Together, they browse through the varied-level reading selections, happily sharing and discussing good stories that are read aloud. As an ice-breaker, reading time may begin with a reading skills puzzle. At the end of the hour, the volunteer helps a child select a “freebie” book to be kept by the young reader, thus building that child’s personal home library. All these efforts can help each child strengthen his reading abilities for academic success and develop a life-long love of literature.

Though the adults and high school students may volunteer just two hours a month, the impact on all has been robust. Here are a few comments from some of our volunteer tutors:

“Making a difference and helping the children in our community, knowing we’re directly helping the kids who want to learn, is very rewarding,” said Steve Barsanti.

“I love the feeling when you look in the children’s eyes and see their joy,” said Teri Hennessy.

“The interaction with the children has been so rewarding. They appreciate the time we spend with them,” said Laura Lundy.

The numbers of young attendees are growing. That’s why we need more reading volunteers. Do you think you might enjoy donating an hour or two a month to this worthwhile program? Do you know a friend who might be interested as well?

Prior to meeting the children, all volunteers are required to get clearance from Boys and Girls Club of Silicon Valley by attending an orientation, then filling out an online application form. The orientation will discuss how adults are to complete live scans and eventually present recent tuberculosis tests.

Plan on attending an upcoming one-hour Monday evening orientation 7 p.m. Sept. 8 or Sept. 15 at the El Toro Youth Center located at17620 Crest Avenue, Morgan Hill. Please RSVP to Gamma Alpha Chapter Literacy Chair Cindy Miller at [email protected].

Please help us help young students in Morgan Hill build their reading skills for success in school and life.