Volunteers add richness to schools
By Renee Webb, Globe diocesan news editor
Posted January 24, 2002

Whether it is punching lunch tickets, giving students extra one-on-one attention in reading or organizing entire fundraisers, volunteers are valuable assets to diocesan Catholic schools.

Margaret Pilgrim, principal of Danbury Catholic School, pointed out that with Danbury no longer having a public school, several people in the community offer to bring fifth grade students to Castana and sixth graders to Anthon for band. Up until last year, the students were able to take lessons and have concerts at the public school that was located just down the street from Danbury Catholic.

"We have some parents, but it is primarily grandparents and older friends of the school from the parish community," she said.

Volunteers also drive third and fourth graders to Battle Creek when they visit a nursing home twice a month as part of their community service. Pilgrim noted that they don't have a school bus of their own, so the transportation offered by volunteers is greatly appreciated.

Other volunteers work in the classroom to provide help in reading, drill students in math and practice prayers. Some volunteers offer clerical services and do assorted tasks such as punch lunch tickets.

"They are such an asset to our school," said Pilgrim. "They are able to provide us with things that we can't do being such a small school. Financially, we wouldn't be able to hire someone to do all of the things they do - for that extra one on one, doing clerical work for the teachers."

An added value, she stressed, is the chance for students to make a connection with people from the parish.

"It can be an ongoing, lifelong connection," said Pilgrim. "They know that these people support them financially, in order to have a connection in a Catholic school and this way they develop even a more meaningful bond with parishioners."

Ron Olberding, principal at Sacred Heart School in Spencer, said that the volunteers helped with all of the major fundraisers. For instance, they park cars at the Clay County Fair, hold an annual carnival and fall festival to raise money for the school.

"If we didn't have volunteers doing those things for us we maybe wouldn't have a school, or it wouldn't be the school we have today," he said.

The principal pointed out that parents take turns with lunch duties, serving in the cafeteria and on the playground. They do so on a rotating basis.

"We have several volunteers who help with the reading program," said Olberding. "Some people come in once a week and others come in twice a week to listen to the kids read. It helps with the students reading fluency." They work with the students in small groups, enabling the students to read more frequently orally. Teachers guide the volunteers as to their duties.

The volunteers, he added, help make the school what it is.

Deb Poss of Sioux City volunteers in various capacities at St. Michael School in Sioux City where her two children attend. She also serves on the marketing committee and chairs the elementary task force for the Catholic Schools of Sioux City.

She views the service as a way to connect to all of the people and students in the school and entire system. It is an attempt to try to make a difference in the schools. Each time she becomes involved, she noted that she is better able to reach out to others and build community.

"I always get more out of it than I ever put in. Everyone comes together to try to make the schools better and stronger." Poss added, "I also want to be a role model for my children. They learn from us and so do all of the children. When they become parents, they will understand the importance of volunteering and will do the same."

Susan McCabe, principal at St. Patrick School in Sheldon, pointed out that having volunteers is better than having paid assistants in many ways because it involves so many people from the community in the school.

"The volunteers are oftentimes parents, but also older people and grandparents from the parish that have a little time they are willing to share," she said. "We are very lucky to have them."

At St. Patrick, each classroom has a prayer partner - a volunteer who is willing to spend a year with the students. They take part in special events and come to the classroom to pray with them. These prayer partners also pray for the students.

In addition to working in the classrooms, McCabe pointed out that they a few grandfathers who do a great deal of the handyman tasks around the school from electrical work to painting and plumbing.

The school recognizes volunteers of the school every April by way of a Volunteers Appreciation Day.

"Volunteers add a richness to the school," she said. "It is really nice for the different age levels to mix so they better understand each other. We are really enriched by each other."