This month we are featuring our amazing Volunteer Readers at Lincoln Park Elementary in SE Portland!
Nathan Ifrah and Ynigo Ortiz are 14-year-old students who volunteer at Lincoln Park through their school’s community volunteering project. Their fathers, William Ifrah and Albert Ortiz, take time off work to accompany them to every reading session and also help read with kids. Here’s what each of them has to say about why they volunteer with SMART:
Nathan: “I’m still in school, but I also do speedskating and run track and cross country outside of SMART Reading. I like participating in SMART Reading to help other young kids in encouraging reading and having conversations with them about books that I used to enjoy.”
William: “I am a property manager and I like to ski. With SMART, I enjoy watching young readers discover the joy of books.”
Ynigo: “I am part of the Band Program and I serve at my school for certain things outside of SMART. I think that SMART is a great way for [kids] to get more help with reading…everyone deserves a good education.”
Albert: “I’m a locomotive engineer. SMART encourages reading, develops proper enunciation, grammar, and imagination.”
Jennifer Valencia is a full time realtor in the Portland Metro Area. She tells us, “I chose to volunteer at SMART because I believe that reading is so important for children to expand their minds. I love this program because the children here are so kind and appreciative of our time and it’s fun to see them progress in their reading comprehension and progress in reading.”
Carrie Koehler is also a realtor. She says, “I love children and decided to volunteer at Lincoln Park Elementary because reading one-on-one with a second grader gives me great joy.”
Edna Scott is a retired teacher of 28 years. Besides being a SMART Reading Site Coordinator at Lincoln Park Elementary, she also volunteers in several capacities at Lincoln Park, where her grandson has attended for 3 years. Edna says, “This is the perfect way to continue working with students. As coordinator, I receive double joy working with students and the adults who are so kind to give of their time, show acceptance to, and converse with kids about their reading experiences.”
Lincoln Park so appreciates all our fabulous volunteers!