Ralph's Story

I have been volunteering with Generations Incorporated for about 9 months now. At first I thought I was going to choose a book and sit and listen to a child read to me. After the training I learned it was much more than that. There was a very structured lesson plan to follow. I thought, do I really want to do this? It sounded like more work than I bargained for. Well, I decided to give it a month's trial.

Alex was a little boy of 8 years of age. When Alex first came in he hardly talked, and it was quite a challenge for me. I found out Alex had a passion for cars. He was looking forward to working in his father’s garage for the summer. I tried to pick out books that had cars in them. They peaked his interest in reading and he was more motivated to read and finish the story. And Kierra was so bubbly and endearing. She would come in every day with a smile on her face from ear to ear. After a few weeks she came in one day and told me she loved the sessions and looked forward to reading a new book every session. It was fun for her.

At the end of the year both Alex and Kierra had advanced 2 or 3 grade levels in reading. What a good feeling that was! To think that I had made so much impact in just a short time.

For several months before volunteering I was doing the senior thing, going to different kinds of meetings and such. I was very busy and my life was active, but something was missing. I did not feel there was anything meaningful in my life. I wanted my life to be more participatory rather than sit back and observe. I realized that after a session with the children and the other volunteers I experienced more energy in my whole being. Even though I may have been tired, I felt alive. I thought if this experience is bringing me so much more pleasure and satisfaction in my life, why not expand my hours? I now serve about 15 hours every week.

I have worked with several different organizations over the years volunteering in different capacities and feel the people in Generations Incorporated have been so supportive, encouraging and positive. There is a lot of fun here as well as work. And, isn’t that the way it should be? Work should be a fun experience not a drag.