Volunteering

Shortly after we arrived in New Jersey, I took up volunteering once a week at our neighborhood school, tutoring a first grader. That ended with the school year back in May, and I'm really not sure whether the tutoring program is even up and running again during this school year. I would think that if it is, the organizers would have kept the tutors' contact information, as they may be the folks most willing to sign up for the program the next time around. I never received a call from the organizers, so either no one organized the program this year, or else they decided they didn't like me as a tutor!

Either way, it doesn't matter. I probably wouldn't have done the program again, now that I work Wednesday afternoons.

This year, instead of tutoring, I've started volunteering for our local library, driving books around town to shut-ins. Today was my first day, and I had about eleven elderly folks to whom I made deliveries. Several lived in the same elder-care complexes, so I really only had to make seven stops. I saw only five of the eleven people; the other six simply wanted their books left with the front desk of their building or by their front door. The folks I did meet were all grateful to see me, especially since they'd already finished the books they had been reading, and were itching to get new ones. I enjoyed the experience, and look forward to driving more books a couple of Fridays from now.