East Valley High Volunteers Work As Team
Each Tuesday at lunchtime, Lynn Lauer convenes her corps of teen volunteers in the career center at East Valley High School.
As coordinator of the school’s Student Oriented Community Service (SOCS) program, Lauer uses the weekly meeting to tell students about new volunteer opportunities, plan food and clothing drives and work on long-term projects like the SOCS Christmas giveaway.
Lauer also tracks the number of service hours each student contributes, because their voluntarism can add up to the equivalent of two elective classes.
Class credit is an incentive, but most students would volunteer without it.
“I don’t think anyone at our school thinks of it as getting credit,” says sophomore Mirella Funaro, who is a second-year SOCS volunteer. Funaro has assisted with food drives for Anna Ogden Hall and passed out water and Gatorade at Hoopfest.
She currently visits a Spokane Valley nursing home to serve as a companion and entertainer for its residents.
“It feels good knowing that I’ve helped people in need,” Funaro says. “But I learn things from them, too - how to care and how to take responsibility for my actions.”
Like many who work with teenagers, Lauer tries to dispel a common perception that they’re all up to no good.
“These are fresh, vital, educated people who believe in being citizens of their community,” she says.
Lauer started SOCS in 1995 with 20 good Samaritans. In the year since, participation has more than tripled.
Other projects the group supports include lawn care for the elderly, planning an annual senior citizen dance and teaching baby-sitting classes to middle school students.
In order to expand their services, SOCS is looking for audio visual and office equipment, a van and fund-raising opportunities.
If you can support East Valley High’s SOCS program or if you are in need of volunteer assistance, call Lynn Lauer at 927-3200.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
MEMO: Created in support of the Spokane County Health Improvement Partnership (HIP), Discoveries highlights people working to improve community health and well-being. If you have a discovery that deserves recognition, call Elana Ashanti Jefferson at 459-5419. To get involved with HIP, call 482-2557.