You need to be generous, caring and responsible. You need to give something of yourself. Volunteers are required to spend a few hours a week with the child, have access to a car and maintain regular contact with a supervisor. Wetzel got involved because she enjoys working with children. Amaechi agrees involvement in the program is a positive experience.
Volunteers attend an orientation and receive an application to be returned with three references.
Then the potential volunteers have individual interviews and a six-hour training session before they are paired with a child. Children are referred to the program by parents, school personnel, other agencies or the children themselves, Ottenstein said. Some involved are children who lack companionship, Ottenstein said, adding that most are growing up in single-parent families and are lacking role models. Some have experienced trauma such as abuse or have social or family problems, she said. The goal of the program is to help children grow up to be more competent, capable and caring individuals than they might have without the help of the program, Ottenstein said.