Volunteer Voice

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2013 Volunteer Story Contest Winner: Janet Skeie

May 16, 2013

We all are inspired by different things; nature, a painting, a book and for me the students in an Adult Basic Education class. I started volunteering in an adult literacy class because I love to read. We need many skills in our daily lives and I believe reading is one of the most important life skills that we all need. All interested people should have the opportunity to learn or improve their reading skills; my goal was to help others improve their ability to read.

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2013 Volunteer Story Contest Winner: Pat Harlan-Marks

May 9, 2013
There was a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, and we wrote a letter. We didn't write, at first. At first, we talked with shock and horror, trying to process and share what we knew. A difficult struggle, to express deep emotions with surface level words in a common language which is uncommonly challenging. But we did it. We knit together our heartbreak and sorrow with bits and pieces of the language we share. We grieved together in fragmented English and full understanding of one another's pain.
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Announcement of the Winners of the Volunteer Story Contest!

May 6, 2013

We are pleased to announce that Pat Harlan-Marks of

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May Literacy Leader: Mandy Cardinal

May 2, 2013
In honor of National Volunteer Week this month, we would like to recognize Mandy Cardinal, a very special literacy volunteer from our Open Door Learning Center - Northeast. Since Mandy Cardinal began volunteering at Northeast in August, she has been admired for her dedication, creativity, and sense of humor as a volunteer ESL teacher.
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April Literacy Leader: Cletus Maychrzak

April 10, 2013
Our April Literacy Open Door Learning Center - North Side Leader, Cletus Maychrzak, is well-known to every student at the learning center. In the two years since Cletus started volunteering at North Side, he has worked in almost every class. His popularity and the deep impact he has made on his students, however, might be better explained by Cletus' passion for teaching and his enthusiasm in the classroom. When a student who attended Cletus' Science GED class over a year ago was asked, "When you think of science, what do you think of?" She responded, "I think of Cletus' laugh."
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March Literacy Leader: Chris Montgomery

March 8, 2013
Every week for four days a week, Chris Montgomery arrives at the Open Door Learning Center - Rondo an hour early to work one-on-one with students before class begins. Then he assists in the set-up of his classroom and proceeds to spend the rest of the day co-teaching GED, monitoring practice tests, tutoring small groups, and mentoring students. A leader to all in his indefatigable energy and drive to support both his students and learning center, Chris has earned the distinction of being our March Literacy Leader.
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February Literacy Leader: Mary Gilbertson

February 7, 2013
We would like to congratulate Mary Gilbertson of Open Door Learning Center - Arlington Hills as our February Literacy Leader! Mary started volunteering as a teacher at Arlington Hills in October of 2012. However, she first began her work with ESL students early on in her career as a teacher in the ESL program at Highland Junior and Senior High in St. Paul. Mary appreciated these students' tenacity in the classroom and their eagerness to learn. "Looking back at that time," she says, "I believe I learned more from them than they learned from me." Inspired by her students at Highland, Mary decided to continue her work with ESL by becoming a Minnesota Literacy Council volunteer.
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January Literacy Leader: Rick Wriskey

January 10, 2013

Congratulations to Rick Wriskey, our January Literacy Leader and recipient of the Outstanding Volunteer-Honorable Mention award in 2012! Rick’s interest in volunteering was first sparked by his experience as an elementary school Volunteer Mentor in the Mounds View school district. “I didn’t actually hear about the need for literacy volunteers as much as I saw it firsthand,” says Rick. As a mentor, he was most struck by the fact that many of his students’ parents were reluctant to communicate with teachers or attend parent-teacher conferences due to their lack of English-language skills.

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December Literacy Leader: Kathy O'Connor

December 5, 2012
For over a year, Kathy O’Connor has worked as classroom assistant in Mary Pat Davini’s Computer Basics class at Goodwill Easter Seals. According to Mary Pat, however, Kathy is more than just a dedicated volunteer: “I can't stress enough how important this volunteer is to our Computer class at Goodwill!” Mary Pat says of her assistant. “If it weren't for Kathy O'Connor, simply said, it would not be possible for hundreds of adults to be successful in literacy and computer skills.” For going above and beyond in in supporting learners and staff alike at Goodwill East Seals, we would like to honor Kathy O’Conner as December’s Literacy Leader!
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Generational Differences and Volunteering: A Millennial Perspective

November 30, 2012
As I entered the room and sat down for my first GED tutor training session, I noted that I was most likely the youngest person in the room. My fellow volunteers went around, introducing themselves, and my prediction was confirmed. I shared a table with a college grad, a recent empty nester, a young professional, and a retired school teacher. I am a college student, and I spend almost all of my days surrounded by others their early 20s. I was grateful for this opportunity to interact with a group of individuals where every generation was represented. As I later learned, for the first time in a while, all four generations are entering the work force- and volunteering- together.
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