Abby Hopkins '16 captures the power of volunteer tutoring for the SEM girls who teach and their elementary school pupils at the ENERGY afterschool program, in this cover story for The Buffalo News, NeXt section. Click on the link for the story and pictures. Story text only is below.
In 1997, a group of volunteers drove a bus to Ferguson Avenue in Buffalo and invited any kids who were willing to come to their newly founded after-school program called ENERGY. Standing for “Education, Nurture, Encouragement, Readiness and Growth for Youth,” this program sponsored by Westminster Economic Development Initiative not only altered the lives of the student-members, but also those of the volunteers from Westminster Presbyterian Church, where the program is held, the community and high schools and colleges around the city who work to assist children with reading and homework.
“ENERGY has changed my outlook on life,” said Kaitlin Hughes, a junior at Buffalo Seminary who has been volunteering at ENERGY for three years. “It has inspired me to do more for the community and be more understanding of people’s situations and backgrounds.”
With all of the children at ENERGY from first-generation refugee or immigrant families, the diverse ethnicities and backgrounds create a somewhat hectic atmosphere at ENERGY. During mealtime, the children speak English with the volunteers, but during playtime before going home, it is common to be surrounded by multiple conversations, each in a different language.
Carol Greetham, the ENERGY program director, said she has learned about different countries and customs through her time at ENERGY. She went on to list the demographics of the children, mentioning Burma, the Congo, Tanzania, Nepal, South Sudan, Thailand, Rwanda and Kenya.
Yet despite the benefit of learning about new cultures, these language barriers can become a challenge when trying to communicate with the children and their families.
“I do a lot of pantomiming,” Greetham said with a laugh. She explained that it is sometimes more difficult to communicate with the parents, some of whom speak no English, than the children.
Kaitlin said the language barrier is also her biggest challenge.
“It can be quite difficult to teach them how to read when they do not understand the language,” she said.
But working with the children at ENERGY has “opened my eyes to a side of Buffalo I was not aware of,” Kaitlin added. “I did not know we had such a large immigrant population, and I did not know the challenges these people face.”
Tutoring these children gives the volunteers an opportunity to impact these children’s lives and to help them overcome these challenges. Some come to Buffalo from refugee camps speaking no English. Others, upon arriving to the United States, are assigned a Jan. 1 birthday because they have no official birth papers.
“People come from all different backgrounds,” Kaitlin said, “and they all deserve respect.”
Anabel Cornacchio, also a junior at Buffalo Seminary, has been volunteering for two years and explained the “profound” effect ENERGY has had on her life.
“Mentoring those kids not only provides them with greater opportunities and a sense of community, but together, we foster relationships which would never have emerged otherwise,” she said.
With ENERGY’s strong focus on teaching the children how to read, and helping them complete their homework, the volunteers are thrown into teaching positions after a training session with little hands-on experience. And yet, it seems to be the most effective way. Both the volunteers and the children learn from each other.
“Tutoring is a two-way process,” Anabel said. “Just as we are teaching them about math and reading, they teach us about their cultures.”
This “two-way” process resonates with Kaitlin as well.
“Teaching these children has taught me to be more understanding and patient,” she said.
Although sometimes assisting the children isn’t easy, for the volunteers, it’s worth it.
“When I first started ENERGY,” Kaitlin said, “I did not expect to become so attached to the children we work with.”
Despite the sometimes challenging job, she said, “It’s amazing to watch a child progress so greatly from the beginning of the season to the end of the season. I love to see their hard work pay off.”
Greetham said what keeps her motivated is “seeing the kids blossom. Seeing their confidence and happiness grow, and seeing the volunteers start to connect with the kids because the kids appreciate and develop that bond, that friendship. They notice when someone isn’t there one day.”
For Kaitlin, volunteering in her community is second nature, and yet of all the service work she has done, ENERGY remains one of the most rewarding.
“Watching the children put so much hard work into learning and improving their reading and math skills keeps me coming back to ENERGY,” she said.
When asked if she would recommend to other students volunteering at ENERGY, Anabel replied without hesitation: “Absolutely, without a doubt.”
“We’re always looking for committed volunteers,” Greetham said.
Interested volunteers can contact her via email at [email protected].
“ENERGY always leaves me with gratitude in my heart,” Anabel said. “It has been, by far, the most important volunteer work I have ever participated in.”
