Why I Volunteer For Community Connections

Karen Mcintosh

I moved many times growing up. My parents volunteered at school, church and in the community everywhere we went. My siblings and I were always there to help our parents and when we all began to be parents, we too followed in their footsteps. We all volunteer. And our children all volunteer knowing it is the right thing to do for their communities. 

Years ago as a volunteer Sunday school 10-12 year old teacher, we used to take turns reading out of the Bible. One of our children struggled painfully to read.  We had a homeowner who offered to tutor this child. I will never forget the child’s smile when one Sunday they read, stumbling and hesitation replaced with confidence and pride and the entire class smiled with him and clapped with encouragement. That’s what tutoring does for our children.  It doesn’t replace the teacher or the parents responsibility to the child, it supplements the lessons that need learning. It boosts the child!!!

That day I saw the importance of tutoring and hoped that when I was no longer working or volunteering developing Island Roots or other big projects I would find a way to tutor or volunteer.  That time came after the storm but was postponed by Covid. When I began helping the volunteer Art Teacher, we both realized how far behind our children were from it all. We found that teachers all over the world acknowledged how far behind their children were. And that’s why I was pleased that there was an effort to reach out to parents and children to figure out what kind of help they needed to get our children back on tract and headed for a successful future.  I’m very grateful on behalf of the children, for Community Connections.