Student Contributor -Greg Torres
Project Warm-Up provides hats, mittens, blankets and other much-needed items to those who are low-income, no-income and homeless in Spokane County. This program involves volunteers who work individually at home and in groups to create warm items which are distributed county-wide to curtail the risk of hypothermia.
Senior Volunteers Make a Difference The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Spokane County promotes senior volunteer opportunities to build a stronger community through partnerships that impact community needs. Individuals age 55 and over in RSVP make a difference in our community through volunteer service. Our volunteers contribute from a few to over forty. Teachers should consider partnering up with this particular organization because it is a good way for students to build a relationship with the senior citizens in their school’s community. This is a value that seems to be missing and should be revitalized in our culture. Senior citizens that might come and visit the classroom may be able to offer a perspective towards content in classes like History, Science, Social Studies, and others that would be great for students to see. Our senior citizens have a lot to offer and students should learn to value them.
Teachers and students can offer many types of service to this organization from doing a "Yarn Drive" in their classroom for Project Warm Up to just writing letters to the senior citizens groups that knit hats, mitten, blankets and other much needed items for those in need. The best way to partner with this organization is to ask what needs to be done. I have found that, if contacted, they would be willing to come to your classroom and explain to students what they do and what they need from them.
