“Our Mid Coast youth need our time,” United Way of Mid Coast Maine Executive Director Barbara Reinertsen said. “When adults read to children, or become a tutor or mentor, they can have a very powerful impact on young people’s success in school and in life.”
The partnership includes Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bath/Brunswick, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Midcoast Maine, Girl Scouts of Maine, the McKeen Center for the Common Good at Bowdoin College, Success By 6 Volunteer Reader Network, and Youth Promise, as well as United Way.
The goal of 400 volunteers is part of a national United Way drive to recruit 1 million readers, tutors and mentors to help students succeed.
Volunteers do not need special skills, but simply provide extra support to children and youth struggling in and out of school.
“It can be as simple as sharing the types of activities you already like to do,” Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bath/Brunswick Executive Director Lindsay MacDonald said. “Playing games or sports, visiting the library or museums, going to the beach or cooking a meal together are just some examples of activities our Bigs and Littles enjoy. Spending time for just a few hours a month with a child can start something amazing and have life-changing impacts, including higher self-esteem and developing new interests and future goals.”
MacDonald says there is especially a need for male volunteers. The organization has a list of children waiting for the right match — more than half of whom are boys. Girls are placed on a waiting list to be assigned to a Girl Scout troop, as Girl Scouts of Maine seeks to find and train volunteers.
“Though I believe all teachers hope to provide individual assistance for each of their students, large classrooms and varied student needs make it difficult to fully address each student’s unique talents and challenges,” said Katie Kinkel, a tutor and senior at Bowdoin College. “A few hours of additional tutoring either within a classroom or outside of school each week can enormously affect an individual student’s progress.”
Call Angie Buxton, volunteer coordinator at United Way, at 443-9752, or visit www.uwmcm.org for more information.
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