Read with Me Volunteers Programs Seeking Bilingual Volunteers
Read with Me Volunteers Programs, a local nonprofit organization, has successfully elevated the reading, comprehension, and speaking skills of thousands of children from low-income and limited English-speaking families for 20 years. Volunteers are needed to provide in-person tutoring to the students, one or more hours, once a week for a minimum of eight weeks during the school year.
One-on-one or group tutoring is a very rewarding experience for both the volunteers and the kids. Read With Me Volunteers provides volunteer training sessions prior to sending the volunteer to their assigned school. The teachers will provide the materials for use with students.
Twenty years ago, Roberta and Clay Klein had a vision to find a way to rectify the critical need to recruit retired professionals as volunteers to assist local school children from limited English-speaking environments in East Coachella Valley. The goal was to help these kids develop to their fullest potential by not only learning to read better but also to comprehend and speak English. If a child isn’t reading at grade level by third grade, they most likely will drop out of school armed with a dim future, possibly in crime. In 2004 only 51% of the students graduated.
Roberta and Clay’s vision turned into a reality in 2004 when they launched a ministry at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Palm Desert to provide a few volunteers to one school, Mecca Elementary, which quickly led to the founding of Read With Me Volunteer Programs.
“Today we are a non-profit organization providing 600 volunteers to 22 schools,” proudly states Founder Roberta Klein. “Over the years, Read With Me Volunteer Programs has helped hundreds of disadvantaged children lead more productive lives.”
In September, the Read With Me Volunteer Programs made significant strides in supporting education in Coachella Valley. As of September 24, a total of 310 volunteers have fully registered with over 50 actively working in classrooms. A notable achievement this month was the distribution of 2,000 books, accomplished in partnership with Riverside County Office of Education’s Migrant Head Start Programs. These books were given to families at the Desert Mirage High School Oasis Fly Doctors Health and Wellness Fair on September 21, enhancing access to educational resources for the community.
We are actively recruiting English-speaking and bilingual individuals to serve as volunteers.
For more information or to obtain an application about this rewarding opportunity, call (760) 567-1830 or visit readwithmevolunteers.com.’
Photos provided by Read With Me Volunteers
Image Sources
- Bilingual Volunteer Tutor Reads to pupil: Read with Me
