Professional & Service Activity
Professional & Service Activity
- Reading Partners
Volunteer, 2009-2010Description:
Reading Partners is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering students through literacy and investing community members in underserved public schools. Reading Partners recruits and trains community volunteers to provide one-on-one tutoring for elementary and middle school students reading below grade level. We partner with historically underresourced public schools and work closely with classroom teachers to provide a curriculum-based, results-oriented intervention for low-performing readers.
- Edgewood Center for Children and Families - Kinship Support Services Program
Program Director, 2001-2007Description:
When crisis, substance abuse, mental illness, incarceration, economic hardship, divorce, domestic violence, or other challenges take parents from a child, other family members often step up to fill the gap. Edgewood Kinship Support Services Network (Edgewood Kinship) supports these courageous and caring grandparents, aunts, uncles, and siblings.
Edgewood believes that children should first be supported in the homes of relatives and remain in their communities. Research shows it is better for the child, and it is also a less expensive alternative to traditional foster care. Yet, few resources exist for kinship caregivers. Edgewood Kinship was created in 1998 to fill the gaps in public social services available to relative caregivers. Then, it was the first program of its kind. Today, Edgewood’s innovative program is a model for similar programs across the United States.
- Child Advocates of Silicon Valley
Volunteer, 1999-3000Description:
Child Advocates matches trained volunteers (Advocates) with foster children to ensure their needs and best interests are met. Because volunteers are court-appointed, they can thoroughly research every aspect of a child’s case, including meeting teachers, social workers and foster parents. Advocates provide reports to the court so judges can make decisions with clear and accurate information. In addition to representing children in court, Advocates serve as friends and mentors.