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SMP Marines Volunteer for Tutors and Buddies
(November 7, 2010) |
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| ARLINGTON, Va. (MCN - 11/4/2010) — For almost 30 years the
Single Marine Program at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, has
volunteered for the Tutors and Buddies program at Barcroft
Elementary School in Arlington, Va.,
Every year from September to June, the volunteers go to the
school on Tuesdays to “give the students a little more
individualized attention,” said Michael Flaherty, the school
liaison for the Tutors and Buddies program. |
The SMP is a program that offers volunteer opportunities to
single Marines, as well as schedule trips and social
gatherings in common areas on base.
When the volunteers go to the school they meet up with a
group of fifth graders to play math games, read books,
promote good health and exercise by going outside and
running around the track with the children.
“I like when they come and help with math. It's fun,” said
Alassane Thiouf, a fifth grader at the school.
Christianne Witten, a volunteer with the Tutors and Buddies
program at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Va.
said, “every time we go, we are there to reinforce their
reading and math skills,”
The program gives the children a good role model, and having
a good role model can |
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Lance Cpl. Mornic Davis, a distribution management specialist at Headquarters Marine Corps in Arlington, Va., volunteered for the Tutors and Buddies program to give back to the community Sept. 21, 2010.
Every Tuesday from September to June, the Tutors
and Buddies program brings members of the Marine
Corps and Department of Defense employees to the
elementary school to work with the children and
give them a little extra individualized
attention. |
keep these kids off the street, said Lance Cpl. Mornic Davis, a distribution management
specialist at Headquarters Marine Corps.
Once a year, the Tutors and Buddies go to the elementary
school to carve pumpkins with the third graders. Cpl.
Shannon Pulver, a distribution management specialist at
Headquarters Marine Corps, said she is very excited to carve
pumpkins with the kids.
“This is the second year I've done the pumpkin carving, and
it is always a lot of fun,” said Master Sgt. Wendy Andrews
from consolidated administration at Headquarters Marine
Corps.
In 1991, President George H. W. Bush honored the program as
the 400th daily “point of light,” a title awarded to
individuals and volunteer groups whose work meets the
critical needs in their community. The title was presented
as an award to the tutors and buddies by Bush at Barcroft
Elementary School. |
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“It has been fun to come down here and work with the kids,”
said retired 1st Lt. Lawrence G. Ward. “You start to develop
a good rapport with them because you see the kids from the
beginning of the year until the end. The kids actually start
looking for you when you come in.”
Witten said last year the children were brought on base for
Earth Day to plant flowers around the exchange. The children
also dug up a time capsule and buried their own.
The children love interacting with Marines, and it makes the
children see that the Marine Corps isn't just a fighting
force, but also helps at home, she added.
Pulver said she enjoys helping the kids with the pumpkin
carving because it puts a smile on the children's faces. |
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Retired 1st Lt. Lawrence G. Ward reads with a fifth-grader at Barcroft Elementary School in Arlington, Va., Sept. 21, 2010. Every Tuesday from September to June, the Tutors and Buddies program brings members of the Marine Corps and Department of Defense employees to the elementary school to work with the children and give them a little extra individualized attention. |
“The Marines are cool – they are really cool,” said Sowrav
Barua, a third grader at the school.
The Marines who volunteer at the school say they enjoy
volunteering because it feels good to give back to the
community. They added it is also a good feeling to know the
children get excited when the Marines are coming. |
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Article and photos by LCpl. Jacob D. Osborne
Headquarters Marine Corps
Copyright 2010 | |
Reprinted from
Marine Corps News
Comment on this article |
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