Martha Shreve, 77, of Niles is the volunteer coordinator at Brandywine Elementary School in Niles.

 

Q: How did you start volunteering at Brandywine?

I started in the fall of 1999 after retiring from Brandywine after 34 years of teaching. I am very fond of Brandywine. I love the students and the staff and the community. I felt it was something I could continue to be helpful in doing.

 

Q: In what ways do you volunteer?

I do anything that needs to be done. I work with students directly. Currently I am doing what I call our junior journalism program where sixth grade students are encouraged to cover the public relations for our building. They write stories and take pictures.

Through fundraisers we’ve been able to get two cameras that we use. They are submitted within the system and sometimes they run in the Niles Daily Star. I also run the mentor program where we try to pair students that might have a need beyond school or home with a special friend who meets with them once a week. They develop special friendships that last the year and even beyond the year. I’ve had some that have lasted four years. I also find a place for volunteers to work in the school.

Also, students come to me and I work with them in the afternoon. I have a small group right now. I am concentrating on third grade students, working with them on penmanship, handwriting and math facts. Each year the need is a little different because the students are different. I try to see where the need is and meet it if I can.

 

Q: How often do you volunteer?

Basically I am here full time — five days a week. This year has been different (due to a health issue). I worked through that and now I am back working about half time now.

 

Q: What do you enjoy most about volunteering?

The students. Brandywine is a small and somewhat self-sufficient school system. It has been for a long time. Way back in 1966 when I started teaching full time there was a shortage of teachers. Of all the systems around Brandywine seemed to be the one that was the fit for me and I’ve been with Brandywine every since.

 

Q: Why is it important to volunteer?

I think for all of us it is. It is what makes the world go round. We all have things we can give and share. We all have needs too. If we can match what we have to share with what someone has a need for we can create a full circle

 

Do you know a volunteer worthy of recognition? Nominate him or her as Volunteer of the Week by contacting community editor Craig Haupert at (269) 687-7720 or craig.haupert@leaderpub.com.