Volunteers tutor Caridad Center’s children after school
re-printed from: Sun-Sentinel article from June 29, 2016
First, second and thirdgrade students at Freedom Shores Elementary School in Boynton Beach receive tutoring thanks to a program run by Caridad Center’s after-school homework help program assisted by volunteers from the National Council of Jewish Women Palm Beach Section.
Most of the children come from non-English-speaking homes. The 40 students and volunteer tutors had a pizza party for the final session of the season.
“In 2009, National Council of Jewish Women Palm Beach Section was looking for a partner organization for whom to provide tutoring services,” said Joyce Kantrowitz, NCJWPB Program chairwoman for the Caridad Center tutoring program.
The Caridad Center west of Boynton Beach provides medical services to low-income or underinsured residents.
“As the co-vice president of community services, I came across an article about Caridad Center’s after-school homework help program. I met with Rosa Lores, the director of Volunteer Services, and we agreed that NCJW would supplement their current tutors with as many as we could provide.”
Kantrowitz keeps applications, advertises the program through NCJW, keeps in contact with the tutors, arranges monthly tutor luncheons, attends orientation and the volunteer dinner dance, and sets up Chanukah and Passover celebrations as part of a cultural information program for the 40 children, four school teachers, program director Perra Unger and the tutors.
“NCJW provides us with a budget that partially covers books, supplies and teaching materials as well as for the two celebrations,” she said.
The program has flourished. The students are tutored by volunteer seniors in math and English from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. two times a week at Freedom Shores Elementary.
Student Sam Dor has been in the program for the past two years, and Rodrigo Oliveria and Xavier Gomez have been involved for a year.
“The tutoring was helpful and enabled me to make new friends with other kids in tutor class,” Sam said.
Mike and Michelle Faigin of Delray Beach have been tutoring for six months.
“We get great satisfaction working with the children and watching them improve every week.”
“I’ve been in the program for nine years,” said Mel Benjamin, of Boynton Beach. “I enjoy working with the children and seeing the improvement in their work as the year progresses.”
“I started as a Caridad tutor in October 2015 and it has been very rewarding,” said Fredi Grove. “As a member of the National Council of Jewish Women Palm Beach Section I learned about the tutoring program. Reading, writing and arithmetic are the primary skills that must be mastered for success at school and life. I have tutored children in reading and math and have seen excitement and an eagerness to learn. The students clearly benefit from this program. No past teaching experience is necessary, just a willingness to help. There is no greater joy than seeing a child master a previously difficult word or math problem.”
Hannah Klingsberg, of Boynton Beach, tutors the third-grade class.
“Caridad provides the opportunity for one-to-one tutoring for those students whose parents do not have the time or the English- speaking skills to help with homework,” she said. “We need more tutors to give these children the skills and education to be successful.”
Caridad Center CEO Laura Kallus said they are “pleased that some of the retired school teachers that volunteer with us have been giving of their time at Freedom Shores.”
“They have established strong ties with the kids. Some of the children don’t have grandparents or parents who can help them with their homework, so these tutors make a real difference,” she said. “We find if you can reach children when they are young, they establish better work habits in school. The bond between the retired teachers and the children has been important in the children’s growth resulting in special, deep relationships.”