There are a wide variety of ways to get involved that will directly help children.

• Volunteer as a Mentor. (Sign up on this page.) We give you training and tools. You don't have to be a teacher. But we do expect you to be at the program on a consistent basis.
• Volunteer as a Guest Speaker. Talk to the children about choices you made as a youngster, and your career. Plan on speaking for about 20 minutes, and allow another 10 for questions from the children.
• Donate used books - beginning readers through 5th grade.
• Donate school supplies and flash cards.
• Donate supplies for fun craft activities.
• Volunteer to be a monthly snack provider.
• Make cupcakes as a special treat.
• Join the fund-raising efforts by participating in Share the Love, Day at the Braves, Ugly Pants.
• Plan an excursion for Life Enrichment.

Contact Lesley-Ann Drake if you are interested in becoming involved.

The Benefits of Volunteering - for the Volunteer

There are numerous articles about the benefits of volunteering, including benefits to the volunteers health, longevity, and overall feelings of well-being. An article from the New York Sun cites research stating volunteers are 42% more likely to be very happy than non-volunteers.

Mentors

Path to Shine accepts adult volunteers for tutoring positions, as well as high school youth. We provide multi-faceted training for our volunteers, covering topics such as mentoring, effective listening, diversity, and strategies for successful learners, as well as sharing basic methods for helping children improve their reading skills. Volunteers are given a recommended reading list and we strongly encourage all of our volunteers to read these books.

We are also keenly aware that we must be diligent in ensuring the safety of the children. As such, individuals who wish to volunteer as tutors will need to complete Safeguarding God's Children, a program provided by The Episcopal Church about protecting children from sexual abuse. This training is free to volunteers through The Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. Please contact us if you need to take this training; it is valid for 3 years.

All volunteers will also have to pay for, and provide sufficient information for criminal background and sex offender registry checks. (The typical fee is less than $10.)

Guest Speakers

It never fails to impress us that our children, on their program evaluation forms, consistently remark that they love visitors and guest speakers. Guest Speakers inspire our children and we love having diverse guest speakers.

For more information on how you can volunteer and make a difference in the lives of our children, please contact Christopher McAbee.