We are so excited that you're interested in representing AARP at the Ohio State Fair. The Ohio State Fair opens on Wednesday, July 30 and closes on Sunday, August 10. AARP volunteers will collect signed Divided We Fail pledges of support from fair attendees.

AARP has launched Divided We Fail to raise the voices of millions of Americans who believe that health care and life-time financial security are the most pressing domestic issues facing our nation. Learn the issues, add your voice and find out how you can get involved at www.dividedwefail.org.

Attached for your review is the volunteer position description, a summary of Divided We Fail, along with the concert schedule to consider. A brief volunteer training will be offered in July to prepare volunteers for their assignment (two options: in Columbus or by conference call). We plan to confirm training dates soon.

I will be in touch soon to discuss your availability. If needed you can reach me by phone at 222.1532 or email mspence@aarp.org. Looking forward to speaking with you!

Thank you to those volunteers who counted for United Way campaign, help with The Voice distribution, helped UNCF, served on the Board. Thank you to all who bought 50/50 tickets this year. Vaud Villities received $750 for scholarships for Columbus students.

Posted 1/21/2008 Teach English in China this summer. Bridges For Education, a nonprofit organization <www.bridges4edu.org> is again looking for volunteer teachers including retired teachers, college students and high school students to participate in a three week conversational English immersion camp in Zhangzhou, Fujian Province. Also included is a week of travel. Many teachers from the Columbus area have participated in BFE programs in Eastern Europe and recently China, during the past ten years. No specific foreign language skills are required. Program costs are reasonable and cover all expenses including flights, meals and housing. For more information, contact Gary or Pat Huss at (740 ) 881-9656 or HussPartyof5@aol.com

This will be our 7th summer to lead a team for BFE. We usually recruit a mixed team of teachers and other professionals from college students to retired teachers. This is a wonderful opportunity to travel and meet students and professionals in other countries.

We will leave around July 10 and return four weeks later. The first three weeks will be spent at the English immersion program which will be held in The Zhangzhou Bilingual Experimental School. There is more information about this school and about the program at www.bridges4edu.org.

Each teacher on the team will pay approximately $3000 and will be given flights, room and board at the school as well as a week of travel and field trips on the weekends. We do not yet have the exact dollar figure but we expect to soon have a more exact breakdown of the cost. All money paid is tax deductable since BFE is a nonprofit organization. Each teacher will need a passport and a visa as well as travel insurance. We have formal classes in the mornings with some activities in the afternoon and evenings. There is still plenty of time though for teachers to explore on their own or with new friends that they have made. Students will attend the program with teachers and there will be some assistants hired so we will not be responsible for discipline or taking care of the students.

The week of travel is included is included in the cost. The team will travel together following an itinerary put together by the camp director. We usually visit a number of interesting sites and in the past most teachers have really enjoyed the chance to further explore the country away from the camp.

We would be happy to discuss this program with you on the phone and if you indicate that you are interested, we will meet with you and show you photographs and memorabilia from past camps. We can also go over the expectations for each team member. We do work closely with our team members before we depart, so we give a lot of assistance in planning lessons and activities. (This is conversational English so you don't have to worry about extremely detailed plans.) Most teachers plan their lessons around what they have already taught in the classroom.

Please feel free to give us a call at 740-881-9656. Gary is a retired teacher from Briggs HS in Columbus Public Schools and I am a Southwestern City Schools teacher.

Sincerely,
Pat Huss

Posted 11/22/2007 ColumbusReads is a tutoring and mentoring program for kindergarten students in seventeen Columbus City Schools. The program aims to improve the reading readiness skills of Columbus’ youngest students, to prepare them for the first grade and to initiate a process that enables them to read on grade level and eventually to pass the reading portion of the Ohio Proficiency Test.

We are seeking retired teachers to serve as volunteer tutors. The volunteer tutor provides the children thirty minutes of individualized tutoring in reading readiness skills. The trained volunteer gives one hour per week to the program and works with two children individually for thirty minutes each. The tutor continues with the same two children throughout the tutoring year.

Structured lessons that are planned by a retired teacher (site coordinator) are provided for the tutors to use each time they work with a child. The site coordinator oversees each tutoring session supporting the tutor and the student. The structured framework and constant supervision provided by the program ensure that the experience is productive, focused and enjoyable for both the student and the tutor.

The real power of ColumbusReads can be realized in not only the academic achievement of our kindergarten children but also in the dynamics that occur when a child works one on one with an adult on a personalized educational plan for the entire school year. This interaction not only strengthens the academic foundation of the children, but also provides positive and supportive role models, while increasing community involvement and awareness.

If you can give one hour a week to support our young children please give Virgie Homeny, ColumbusReads Supervisor, a call at 365-5253 or email at vhomeny@columbus.k12.oh.us.

Each child has a three-pocket folder that provides materials and activities on the student’s instructional level.

· In POCKET ONE, the children work with a large variety of books to develop knowledge about how stories work and to develop an appreciation and love of reading. This is achieved through modeling and tutor-child interaction.

· In POCKET TWO, the focus is to build a foundation for reading and writing through letter / sound association activities and practice. The children engage in the writing process working with words, sentences, and stories.

· In POCKET THREE, activities are sequential and developmental. The activity is structured to support the kindergarten skills that have not been mastered by the individual child.

The Community Development for All People is a non-profit outreach organization working on the Columbus Southside. Through their Circle of Hope program neighborhood residents can earn supplemental income for their families. They are making simple polymer clay jewelry, which is sold through various outlets. They meet Tues. and Thurs. 12:30 – 3:30 p.m.

They are looking for volunteers to help with the jewelry making. Volunteers can have an interest in arts and crafts or simply willing to contribute their time to a worthwhile effort.

Persons who would like more information should contact Donita Harris, Project Director for Circle of Hope at 614-445-7342 or 614-638-0343 (cell) donita.harris2610@sbcglobal.net.

OSU professors are planning to develop a project that will prepare cadres of after-service teachers to work on a volunteer basis with small groups of students in classrooms for a short period of time each day. They will be working with groups of students who are making fairly average to good grades. Volunteers will be well trained. The OSU group is seeking funding and plans to train the volunteers between September and December 2006. They are hoping to work on the site at Weinland Park during the training months and move to the new building with the students and staff.

CEA-R would like to know if you are interested. We will be sharing more information via email, on the webpage and at each of our activities. if you are interested, please contact Executive Board Member, Betty Powell at 614-231-0768 or bcp43209@yahoo.com.

invites YOU to become an active participant in our all volunteer organization.

When you attend our spring performance, you see amazing local talent...singers and dancers. What you don't see is all the work that goes on behind the scenes. . .artists, designers, sewers, painters, carpenters, electricians, fund-raisers and more. . . all needed to make the show happen. Besides, we have moved into the old Cinema Theatre which was once a part of the razed Northland Mall on Morse Rd. and are challenged with getting it renovated. We now call it Northland Park Arts Center (NPAC) which will become a vital part of Columbus' Art Community when complete. We are preserving a part of Columbus' history. Join us! We need men and women! Feel the sense of community by becoming a part of this amazing group. Call Delena Doan, 755-4371 for details.

Vaud-V illities Productions

invites you, a friend or family member to become a member of their show team. You need not be solo quality (or maybe you are). Call Toni Auch at 488-8689 for auditions.

Vaud-Villities has a new home at Northland Park Arts Center, 1865 Morse Rd., formerly the old Northland Cinema 8 Theatre. It had been prepared for demolition along with the rest of Northland Mall. After sitting empty for 7 years, it is now being renovated to be shared by other Arts Groups and neighborhood functions. This is a unique volunteer opportunity to work with this amazing organization. To learn more about Vaud-Villities, visit www.vvproductions.com.

Check your talents and interests.

( ) singing Part: _______________

( ) dancing

( ) building/designing props and sets

( ) working with costumes

( ) helping with facility renovation

( ) maintenance crew

Name____________________________

Phone____________________________

Email____________________________

I will bring a spouse or friend:

Name____________________________

For (list any of the above positions here)

__________________________________________________________

We learned of the opportunity to volunteer for the many services offered by LifeCare Alliance. It's a huge operation dedicated to keeping older adults independent in their own homes. 4,000 meals for their "Meals-on-Wheels" are prepared daily.

Other programs: Home Care Support for cancer patients; Help-at-Home Program for homebound individuals; Senior Dining Centers; Child, School, and Day Care Meals; the Catch- the-Wellness Spirit Program, the Visiting Pharmacist, Visiting Dietitian and Nurse Practitioner Programs; and more to "nourish the human spirit."

The time has finally come!!! I know you have waited a long time and I thank you so much for your patience. I am still having a time getting dates in all the theaters but that just shows how busy we are. We are ready to get the ball rolling and put on some new volunteers. This is not a small commitment so we will start with the interviews. Once you have successfully completed your interview you will move on to schedule an orientation. I have not been able to get any weekend days for interviews or orientations so I will try some daytime and evening times so that hopefully all of you can find one that will fit your schedule.

You will need to call or email me back with the date you have selected and just tell me if you will come between 2 - 5 pm or 6 - 8 pm. That will help me schedule interviewing staff. You will need to bring $3 for a name badge (correct change please)

Interviews are in the Shedd Lounge in the Riffe Center on the Mezzanine Level. ( The Riffe Center is a State run facility so you will be asked to check any bags or packages at the security desk (this does include purses). The Riffe Center is at the corner of State and High Streets.

Interview Times are Tues., Wed. and Thurs. from 2 pm to 5 pm and 6 pm to 8 pm.

Parking is on your own (probably best to park in the City Centre Garage)

The interview should not take more than 10 or 15 minutes but the wait could be longer than that if a lot of people come at the same time.

You must first go through this interview process to be invited to the next orientation for becoming a CAPA Volunteer. Bring your calendar so if you are going to go through an orientation you can schedule it at that time.

Thank you again for your patience and I hope to meet many of you later this month. We are as excited as you are to finally get this process going.

jrife@capa.com

Janet Rife
CAPA Volunteer Coordinator
55 East State Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
614-469-1338
Please add your name and phone number to all emails.

CEA-R Calling Committee needs your help.
We are looking for a new Calling Committee Chairperson.
The Chairman will also assign the contact callers and prepare each caller’s list of about 10 names.
If you are willing to be a caller, please contact Judy Valentine at 614-235-4572.

Retired teachers still can touch the future--one child at a time!
Your local CPS school needs volunteers.

CEA-R members help count out copies of The Voice on Fridays at the CEA office.
Are you willing to have your name added to a list of volunteers? Periodically during the year, CEA needs helpers stuffing envelopes, counting items, putting stamps on envelopes, etc. We would like to have a list of names of retirees who would be willing to help at various times. If you would be willing to assist us,

Vaud-Villities Productions

Vaud-V illities Productions