This month’s Volunteer Spotlight shines brightly on Diane. A retired RN, Diane has been an invaluable member of our team since 2018. Diane heard about us at the end of her career and was initially interested because of her lifelong passion for reading. She wanted to share her love for reading that, as she put it, “opens new worlds.”
Diane’s first experience as a volunteer with WALC was to support someone studying for their Citizenship Test, a role she found fulfilling. Encouraged by our Education Director, she transitioned to assisting at Women and Children’s English classes, starting as a classroom aide before becoming deeply involved with the children’s portion of the program.
Diane told us that she enjoys volunteering so much that it almost feels selfish – she is constantly learning so much! She also expressed a feeling we hear time and again from our volunteers, which is how impressed she is with the resilience & courage of the people we work with. She also likes to remind the families she works with what a gift it is to continue talking to their children in their native language so they can maintain their cultural roots at home. Diane often helps learners with health questions, making phone calls on their behalf and assisting in solving problems. She said that even when she gets stuck it’s always an interesting problem to solve, and she feels confident knowing that she always has our Education Department as a resource. Diane continues tutoring in addition to helping with the children twice a week at our Women and Children’s class. For the past 3-4 years she has been walking alongside a husband and wife assisting with English. She has also helped with several big milestones – passing the citizenship test and applying for a Habitat for Humanity home. Diane said their success is due to their dedication – they set aside the time to learn, and they make a point to meet in front of their kids so they’re setting an example of how important literacy is.
Thank you Diane – for everything you do for our learners here at WALC!
