Thursday, March 8, NC’s HoPe club volunteered at McCall Primary school for their annual Read Across America week literacy night to showcase the importance of giving back to the community. Throughout the night, HoPe members, and other volunteers who graciously contributed their time, spent the evening reading to K-2 graders, playing literacy games and helping translate to Spanish speakers.
Volunteers traveled between 15 stations which featured alphabet games, bookmark-making stations and reading sessions to embrace the excitement of Read Across America week. Common authors read throughout the night composed of Dr. Seuss, Susan Meddaugh and Laura Numeroff. HoPe members helped kids learn the alphabet with Play-Doh, engaged in word-to-picture matching games and played math games throughout the night.
HoPe’s leadership team: President Irvin Perez-Herrera, Vice President of Service, Alex Gonzalex-Villerado, Vice President of Marketing, Natalia Ontiveros and Vice President of Education, Jovany Cervantes-Raso, helped organize the night with help from club sponsor and language department head Brenda Garcia. For each event HoPe volunteers with, the leadership team makes the calls and brainstorms ideas to make the occasion one to remember. The team meets once a month to plan volunteer events or clean-up projects to better the landscape of NC and shine a light on Hispanic heritage throughout Kennesaw.
“Our mission is to bridge the gap and help educate our Hispanic community and make them [members] better leaders. So I think that is just ideal for the literacy night because that’s what it focuses on and I think it gives back. It helps young kids see the presence of our high schoolers in their lives,” Garcia said.
While members volunteer at events such as McCall’s Literacy Night, the production of the events comes to life during monthly meetings. During their general meetings, members come up with projects such as a Hispanic heritage night, clean-up events, education nights and donut sale events to help students gain community service hours and garner a good time while giving back.
Not only did the literacy night allow students to volunteer within their community, it provided young learners the confidence to share their heritage because of the presence of HoPe members at the event. Members easily connected to the kids who attained a second language which made the night special for all.
“I feel like HoPe members have definitely embraced their community, have learned the ability to give back and learned the importance of giving back through participating in events. We work a lot with elementary schools, so whenever someone needs us, we actually help with translation. It’s a great impact for [the elementary schoolers] because HoPe members can relate to them when they were that age,” Garcia said.
