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Adopt-A-Seat Volunteers Do a Stand-Up Job at 826LA

At the end of May, in front of a stage decorated with bright purple tinsel, our After-School Tutoring students read aloud pieces from the latest chapbook from Echo Park, Street Lights Are Replaced with Gummy Bears. In the audience, some very familiar faces cheered on our students and, equipped with their own copies of the book, followed along with the readings. These audience members looked like they had come directly from their offices, because indeed, they had! In fact, for the last six months, they left their offices at Union Bank and volunteered with our students every Thursday. How was this possible?

This year, we kicked off an exciting new partnership with Union Bank called Adopt-A-Seat. Other partner companies include TOMS and Google. Through this partnership, Union Bank employees came into After-School Tutoring on a rotating basis to regularly work one-on-one with our students. Each Thursday afternoon, Adopt-A-Seat volunteers helped students complete their homework, write creative pieces and improve their reading skills.

Union-Bank-color-logo

Students enjoyed seeing our Adopt-A-Seat volunteers each Thursday this past school year, so much so that entire groups of kids would request to sit at the same table with a Union Bank employee. As they worked alongside these volunteers, the students grew to trust in them and seek their guidance on homework and writing assignments. On Wednesdays, students would ask if the Adopt-a-Seat volunteers were coming in soon. By consistently coming into the writing lab, these volunteers forged a strong mentorship with our students, and became some of their biggest fans.

Oftentimes, appealing volunteer opportunities don’t quite fit with a typical work schedule. Companies are eager to expand their corporate social responsibility programs, but find that it’s not always perfectly feasible to do so on a regular schedule. Through Adopt-A-Seat, companies and organizations are able to engage their volunteers in meaningful work in the surrounding community, during a time when they might not have otherwise. The value for the employees is noticeable. I’ve seen Adopt-A-Seat members literally run into the writing lab, and as they catch their breath tell me that they didn’t want to miss After-School Tutoring. They had been looking forward to working with our students all day.

In Street Lights Are Replaced with Gummy Bears, we thanked each of our Adopt-A-Seat volunteers at Union Bank. It’s a simple list, in black-and-white type. But that list is full of meaning, and full of memories. It’s filled with memories of working through algebra problems, and adding details to a story, and chowing down on the midday snack, and laughing at a quick joke a student made, and high-fives for good grades. Wouldn’t it be nice to have your name on that list too?

For more information about our Adopt-A-Seat program, please email Mariesa in Echo Park and Lauren in Mar Vista.

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