Children of the Valley volunteers share their experiences
Ava Ronning, Skagit Valley Herald, November 23, 2024 – View article on GoSkagit.com
Volunteers at Children of the Valley say that the time they spend at the nonprofit is fulfilling, impactful and educational.
Children of the Valley, a Mount Vernon-based nonprofit benefitting children in need throughout Skagit County, has existed for about 20 years and depends on volunteers for its success.
Mary Nolte started volunteering in 2006.
At the time, she was a third-grade teacher at Centennial Elementary School in Mount Vernon, and knew that students would benefit from a place where they could receive academic support and mentoring, especially students who had barriers to educational support outside of school.
The organization served 30 children in its first year. It now serves 190 at its four locations.
That number is down from 240 in 2023. The decline is mostly due to shrinking school district budgets and the expiring of COVID-19 relief funds.
Volunteers fill various positions, including academic tutoring, enrichment activities, arts and crafts, hands-on learning opportunities, and as snack preparers and van drivers.
Oversight
Volunteer coordinator Yasmeen Davila oversees about 200 volunteers across the four locations.
“I went to school to be a teacher. I started off as a student here and really enjoyed it, but wanted to be outside of the classroom and just give it a shot, and I think that’s something I like,” Davila said.
Davila works primarily with teens, and said she enjoys the age group because she can connect with them on a more personal level.
“I was once that student and didn’t have (Children of the Valley) as a kid … we have kids here that go to school and don’t really connect with their teachers, but they connect more with us and trust us more … This is their safe place and I love being their safe place,” she said.
Davila said she thinks Children of the Valley is a good way for volunteers who are high school students and want to become teachers to gain experience and determine what age group they want to work with.
Mount Vernon
Maria Perez, mother of Children of the Valley founder and Executive Director Flora Lucatero, volunteers as a snack preparer.
Perez said she finds it rewarding when she can brighten a kid’s day and give back to the community.
Dwight Nelson, also a snack preparer in Mount Vernon, considers the time he earned the trust and companionship of a shy student to be a highlight of his volunteer work.
Karen Tran helps with enrichment activities, reading and tutoring students for the past two years.
She had tried other volunteering opportunities, but has found that Children of the Valley is where she has felt most comfortable and where she was having the most impact.
“I got to work with some kids who were not yet speaking English much, and so I got to help them with their reading … Both of my parents were the kids of immigrants and I know that’s really difficult sometimes,” Tran said.
One of Tran’s standout moments was when she helped a student who hardly spoke English learn nine words in one afternoon, and the student was proud to show off her new knowledge to her teacher.
Tran finds that working with Children of the Valley fits with her values that are rooted in the importance of reading.
“
Your world isn’t limited if you’re a reader,” she said.
Sedro-Woolley
The Sedro-Woolley site has more older and retired volunteers than the other locations. Many are retired teachers.
Sofia Churape, a third- through fifth-grade teacher at the Sedro-Woolley site, said having retired teachers volunteer is a bonus because of the experience they bring to the program.
“Volunteers are very important in our (Children of the Valley) foundation because the kids love working with them. They almost rely on them to have a good time during reading and homework,” Churape said.
Benjamin Adams volunteers in the kindergarten through first-grade classroom and has a daughter in the program.
“I really like the way they take the education they have (from school) and work on that with them. It’s a calming environment that works well for my daughter,” he said.
Community impact
Lucatero finds it meaningful to see former Children of the Valley participants fulfill the potential the organization saw in them as kids.
According to Children of the Valley’s impact report, the organization had 204 volunteers in the 2023-2024 school year, 92 of whom were working professionals, 64 were youth and college students and 48 were retirees.
Many of those within the organization say funding and staffing are among the difficult aspects of the job.
Children of the Valley is always seeking volunteers, especially in January, when it will launch an after-school bike club in partnership with Cascade Bicycle Club.